The picturesque scenery of 19th century Istanbul on display

"Picturesque Istanbul," a digital exhibition, which takes art lovers for a journey through time, will kick off on March 12 at Istanbul's Naval Museum. Istanbul is probably one of the few cities that deserves to be called "picturesque," a word used to describe its alluring and mysterious beauties, architecture and scenery that are worth painting. Paintings of Istanbul by the 19th century painter-travelers Melling, Schranz, Allom, Bartlett, Lewis and Ayvazovski will be displayed as "digital travel books," and will present 19th century Istanbul through the eyes of the travelers who set off to discover "the center of the world."

The exhibition's general director Bülent Özükan and art director Murat Öneş will bring the exhibition to life with the compositions and voice of musical director, Anjelika Akbar. The gravures and paintings can usually be found only in rare collections or museums. Here, they are projected on screens, offering the audience a chance to see the details of the artworks. "Picturesque Istanbul" features subtitles in English and Arabic, and offers an entertaining time to both the locals of Istanbul, as well as tourists.

The first section of the exhibition will be at Istanbul Naval Museums Barbaros Hall and will offer interactive information about the six artists whose works are featured at the display. The second section features huge screens – 4.5 meters high and 60 meters wide CodexArt surfaces. The scenery of 19th century Istanbul is displayed on these screens paired with music from the era for 35 minutes. Blending the art of painting and music, "Picturesque Istanbul" will host Anjelica Akbar every day between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., and the audience will have a chance to study paintings and gravures while listening to Akbar's music.