The Bayezid Medresse, which was used as the public library was evacuated, restored and reorganized as the Museum of Turkish Calligraphic Art, in 1945.
It has interesting and valuable examples of the Turkish art of the pen, Korans, imperial seals, diplomas, Hilye i-serif (descriptions of the Prophet), equipment and apparatus for calligraphic writing, samples of bookbinding, relics and miniatures, especially from the Ottoman and Seljuk periods.
In the holy relics section, there is a Ka’bah cloth, the beard of the Prophet (sakal-i sherif), a bottle with dust from the grave of the Prophet, as well as miniatures depicting scenes from the cities of Medina, Mina, Muzdelife. It also has several documents belonging to different religious orders, family trees, feathers, of great historical and spiritual value, that enrich the museum’s collection.
There are also some examples of calligraphy of the sultans, as Abdülmecid (1823-1861), Ahmed III (1673-1736) and Mahmud II (1785-1839). There is a reading stand (Rahle) made of rosewood and walnut tree, where a Koran was read, owned by Sultan Abdul Hamid II (1842-1918), and now a major attraction for foreign and national visitors.
The Calligraphy Museum is located in the district of Eminonu. Open to the public Tuesdays to Saturdays, between 9:00 and 16:00.