Asia Minor, major influence

A Qu'an box [Photo provided to China Daily]

The second part of the show features the rise of Islamic culture since the 11th century. Ancient copies of the Koran, a Koran stand and finely crafted Koran cases made of timber, ivory, mother of pearl and so on, are among the collection from the Turkish and Islamic Culture Museum.

The third part is from Topkapi Palace, the official residence of the Ottoman Empire, which arose from the Ottoman Emirate in Anatolia in the 15th century. The palace was a center of administration, education and art in Istanbul for more than 400 years, before turning into a museum in 1924, says Prof Haluk Dursun, acting director of Topkapi Palace Museum.