The Rezan Has Museum in Istanbul, with its 11th century Byzantine cistern and Ottoman structures dating back to the 17th century, opened its archive to visitors online, like many other institutions during this self-isolation period. This museum, however, presents a portion of its archaeological collection in 3D. Visitors can examine 3D models of many ancient artifacts that were created by shooting more than 20,000 digital frames. The artifacts were scanned by Iconic with high texture details.
The transformation to digital is taking place all over the world, and museums, apart from preserving precious artifacts, are using the technology to build completely different experiences. Museums, which could only be visited physically previously, can now open their doors into anyone's home, so to speak. This is especially important and noteworthy during the COVID-19 outbreak, and the result is that interest in digital museums is growing every day. In this age of information, when the boundaries are being crossed, museums, as libraries are doing, contribute to accessibility of information as part of the digital revolution, bringing a breath of fresh air to their collections.
Rezan Has Museum’s 3D archive application is among the few examples of the usage of this technology in the world. It's 3D archive includes 44 rare artifacts from its more than 3,000 pieces and offers an opportunity to see them in all their dimensions. Visitors can take a unique journey through history by examining the finest details of these works from all kinds of digital devices.
Live history via technology
In Rezan Has' application of the museum, there is an uninterrupted chronology dating from the Neolithic to the Seljuk period. The exciting project offers a variety of artifacts, including everyday-use items such as bowls and pots, figurines highlighting beliefs or aesthetic tastes and hairpins. Viewers can also examine a unique car model, made of terra-cotta and dating back to 3500 B.C. to 2000 B.C. The car model, one of the most interesting pieces in the collection, dates back to the earlier phases of the Bronze Age, in which a more organized social structure was observed and the bronze enabled the production of stronger weapons and fine ornaments. In this regard, the car model provides hints about the social life of the period.
The statue of Hecate, which is made of marble, is another artifact drawing attention. Considered to belong to the Roman period and dated between the first century B.C. and fourth century B.C., the statue is among the most important works in the project. Depicting three faces, the statue would not be possible to see in a one-dimensional display and would not be visible to the naked eye.
To explore the rest of the artifact collection, you can visit https://sketchfab.com/rezanhasmuseum