Istanbul's Topkapi Palace Museum is expanding its cultural offerings later this year with a brand-new museum dedicated to porcelain, showcasing a stunning collection including rare Chinese ceramics.

Topkapi Palace Museum is home to around 22,000 porcelain items, 12,000 of which are Chinese, which were primarily acquired through diplomatic gifts and trade.

Located in the historic Darphane-i Amire complex, once the Ottoman Empire's mint, the new museum will showcase over 4,500 rare porcelain artifacts from the Topkapi Palace Museum's collection, including 1,442 prized Chinese pieces.

Among these are 40 Chinese ceramics from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), including large plates, bowls, and bottles. These porcelains are notable for their large size and bold style, setting them apart from the more common blue-and-white porcelain typically seen in China.

Ilhan Kocaman, the director of the Topkapi Palace Museum, said that most of these porcelains were custom-made for the Ottoman Empire, with designs that better aligned with local aesthetics.

"Some porcelains here were specially made for the Ottoman Empire, and as a result, the decorations of the porcelains showed local features," said Kocaman.

In addition to the Yuan dynasty porcelains, the museum will also display a large collection of ceramics from Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. These pieces not only reflect the pinnacle of Chinese ceramic artistry, but also testify to the cultural exchanges along the ancient Silk Road.

According to Kocaman, the museum is slated to open by the end of this year, and will organize its exhibits into three sections, Chinese porcelain, European and Asian works, and Ottoman-era ceramics.

Topkapi Palace was the official residence of the Ottoman sultans for over 400 years, from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Today, it's a museum and a major tourist attraction, housing a vast collection of artifacts, including imperial treasures, religious relics, and the world-renowned porcelain collection.