Local Insight:The mesmerizing art of Turkish marbling, or Ebru, is often called “painting on water.” Artisans drop pigments onto a viscous solution, creating swirling patterns that are then transferred to paper—a meditative process dating back to the 15th-century Ottoman Empire.

The famous blue tiles of the Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) are Iznik ceramics, a peak of Ottoman art. Each tile was hand-painted with a unique floral motif, and the master artisans’ secret recipes for the vibrant cobalt blue were closely guarded for centuries.

In the Basilica Cistern, two Medusa head column bases are placed sideways and upside down. Locals believe this was intentional to neutralize the Gorgon’s petrifying gaze, but historians think it was simply Roman builders reusing available materials—a happy accident creating an iconic artistic mystery.

Istanbul’s hidden art isn’t just in museums—it’s a living tradition. In backstreet ateliers, artisans still practice crafts like Ebru marbling and Iznik tile-making using techniques unchanged for 500 years, offering a tangible link to the city’s glorious artistic past.