Archeological Museum

The building was constructed by the architect Vallaury through the efforts of the first scientific museum organizer of Turkey, Osman Hamdi Bey, and was opened to public in 1891. The museum displays objects from Byzantium, the Ottoman Empire and the numerous civilizations of Anatolia and nearby regions including ancient Egypt.

Osman Hamdi Bey Yokusu, Gülhane

Tel: (0212) 520 7740 / 520 7741

Asiyan Museum

This museum is the former residence of famous Turkish poet Tevfik Fikret (1867-1915) who constructed the building himself. In addition to an exhibit of the personal belongings of Fikret, there is a room devoted to the poet Nigar Hanim and displaying some of the belongings of Abdülhak Hamit.

Asiyan Yokusu, Bebek

Tel: (0212) 263 6986

Atatürk Museum

The museum, opened to the public in 1981, is located in Atatürk’s İstanbul residence on Halaskargazi Caddesi in Sisli. On display are photographs of Atatürk from his birth until his death, as well as some of his clothes, personal belongings and paintings.

Halaskargazi Caddesi No. 250, Sisli

Tel: (0212) 240 6319

Museum of Calligraphy

The Beyazid Medresesi (Educational Institution), which was used as the municipality library since 1945 was evacuated, restored and reorganized as the Turkish Foundations Calligraphic Arts Museum where the objects displayed in the Sultan Selim Medresesi on Vatan Street previously are exhibited today. The Korans, imperial seals, diplomas, Hilye-i serif (descriptions of the Prophet), equipment and apparatus for calligraphic writing, samples of bookbinding, holy relics, miniatures are some of the object displayed.

Bayezit Meydani

Tel: (0212) 527 5851

Caricature Museum

This museum was opened in 1975 in Tepebasi by the Istanbul municipality through the efforts of the Caricaturists Association, then temporarily closed down in 1980 as the building where it was housed was torn down and later reopened in its new site.

The Gazanferaga complex, which consists of a medrese (religious school in the Ottoman period), a shrine and a fountain in Saraçhanebasi, was restored for use as the new structure.

Re-opened in 1989, the museum contains a rich collection of satirical works, written or drawn, and the exhibits are frequently changed.

Atatürk Bulvari, Kavacilar Street No. 12, Fatih

Tel: (0212) 521 1264

Carpet and Kilim Museum

This museum is located in the Hünkar Kasri (royal residence), which stands north of the mosque inside the Sultanahmet Mosque complex. Hünkar Kasri was the place where the Sultan used to rest before he would join the prayer in the mosque.

Courtyard of Sultanahmet Mosque, Sultanahmet

Tel: (0212) 518 133

City Museum

The museum was first located in the Bayezit Municipal Library from the year 1939 until it was moved to the Fine Arts building of the Yildiz Palace complex in 1988. On display are paintings depicting the social life of the Ottoman period in Istanbul, calligraphy, textiles, 18th and 19th century porcelains made in the imperial workshops of Yildiz Palace, various glass objects, calligraphy equipment and other objects of daily life.

Barbaros Bulvari, Besiktas

Tel: (0212) 258 5344

Divan Literature Museum

The first dervish lodge in the city was built in 1492 and belongs to the Mevlevi order. The present wooden structure on the site dates from the late 18th century. It is situated in a large garden that includes a cemetery. Historical objects and literature of the order are displayed.

Galipdede Caddesi No.15, Tünel

Tel: (0212) 245 4141 / 243 5045

Fine Arts Museum

On the order of Atatürk, this museum was opened in 1937 in the crown prince suites of Dolmabahçe Palace. It was the first art museum in Turkey and is still the only one in Istanbul. The permanent collection presents a panoramic view of the Turkish plastic arts and also includes works of world famous artists, an impressionist collection, sculptures and works of military painters.

Dolmabahce Caddesi, Besiktas

Tel: 0212) 261 4298 / 261 429

Fire Brigade Museum

This museum presents a chronological history of fire fighting in Istanbul starting with the water pumpers (tulumbaci) of Ottoman times. All kinds of fire brigade equipment, from the first motorized fire engines to firemen’s clothing and tools, are displayed. The museum in its present restored state opened in 1992 after many years of collecting and repairing the objects.

Itfaiye Caddesi No. 9, Fatih

Tel: (0212) 524 11 25

Hagia Irini (Church of St. Irene)

One of the earliest churches of Constantinople, St. Irene served as the church of the Patriarchate before Hagia Sophia was built. The church took its contemporary shape at the beginning of the 4th century under Constantine. It is the only example of a Byzantine church in the city with its original atrium. The building stands in the outer courtyard of Topkapi Palace and was used as an armory by the Janissaries after the conquest of Istanbul. Today it serves mainly as a concert hall because of its excellent acoustics and impressive atmosphere.

Topkapi Palace, Sultanahmet

Tel: (0212) 522 0989 / 522 1750

Hagia Sophia

The story is told that one day during mass, Byzantine Emperor Justinian dropped the holy bread from his hands and before he could grasp it, a bee picked up the bread and flew away. Justinian sent the message to all bee-keepers in the empire to look for the bread in their hives.

After a couple of days, a bee-keeper arrived with a very peculiar looking hive. Justinian decided then and there that a magnificent church to be built would have this hive as its ground plan. Antemius of Trall and Isidor of Miletus were designated as the architects. Hagia Sophia gradually rose up in all its glory. It covers a surface of 7,570 square meters. Its dome is 55.6 meters high and 32 meters wide. The weight of the dome is carried by 107 columns. Hagia Sophia was used as a church for over 900 years. After the conquest of Istanbul by the Turks in 1453, it was immediately adapted for use as a mosque and at various times after that the four minarets were added. It remained a mosque until 1935 when it was declared a museum.

Sultanahmet Meydani

Tel: (0212) 522 0989 / 522 1750

Kariye Museum

This museum was built as the Church of St. Savior in Chora by Byzantine Emperor Justinian. It took its contemporary shape in the 11th century. Logotet Theodoros Metochites produced the frescoes and mosaics, which today constitute one of the world’s most important examples of early Byzantine pictorial art. The mosaics tell the story of the New Testament from the birth of the Virgin Mary to a magnificent scene showing the Resurrection of Christ. The building was turned into a mosque during the reign of Bayezit II. The surrounding neighborhood has many old Ottoman wooden houses.

Edirnekapi

Tel: 0212) 512 5474

Mosaic Museum

Located behind Sultanahmet Mosque, this museum displays what are believed to be Byzantine palace mosaics from the 4th and 6th centuries. They show scenes with human figures, daily life in Byzantium, hunting incidents, landscapes and animal figures.

Arasta Carsisi, Sultanahmet

Tel: (0212) 518 12 05

Oriental Museum

Located near the Archaeological Museum, this museum includes curious objects from the Pre-Islamic Arab world as well as the Assyrian, Babylonian and Egyptian civilizations.

Osman Hamdi Bey Yokusu, Gülhane

Tel: (0212) 520 7740

Press Museum

A building on the Yeniçeri Caddesi in Çemberlitas, originally built as a university by Safvet Pasha and having served different purposes from then on, now houses the Press Museum. Its architect is believed to be Fossati. The museum displays documents on the history of the Turkish press and old printing machinery.

Divanyolu Caddesi No. 84 34410 Cemberlitas

Tel: (0212) 513 8457- 513 8458

Rahmi Koç Industrial Museum

This museum is located in the anchor casting workshop at the docks on the Golden Horn (Haliç), an area that symbolized industrialization in the Ottoman Empire of the 19th century. The anchor casting workshop was built in the era of Ahmet II (1703-1730) and the building’s foundations go back to a 12th century Byzantine construction. It was restored under Selim III and used by the Finance Ministry until 1951. After a fire in 1984, the building stood in ruins. In 1991, it was bought by the Rahmi Koç Museum and Cultural Foundation, restored and opened to the public in 1994. On the first floor, motors and steam engines are displayed. On the second floor are the scientific instruments and communications apparatuses. The entrance is reserved for the aircraft department, mint machinery for printing paper money and coins, bicycles and motorcycles, the naval department and ship engines. In the open area, there is a coast guard life-boat, a tram, a narrow gauge steam train, and a vertical steam boiler.

Hasköy Caddesi No. 27

Tel: (0212) 256 7153 / 256 7154

Sadberk Hanim Museum

Founded by the Vehbi Koc Foundation in 1980 in the historical Azaryan residence in Büyükdere, this is the first private museum in Turkey. The collection contains objects ranging from the first civilizations in Anatolia beginning in 6000 BC to the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods.

Piyasa Caddesi, No. 25, Büyükdere

Tel: (0212) 242 3813 / 242 3814

Tanzimat Museum

19th century documents and objects belonging to the Tanzimat period are displayed in this museum. It was first opened in the Ihlamur Mansion in 1952 and moved to its present location in 1983.

Gülhane Parki, Sirkeci

Tel: (0212) 512 6384

Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum (Ibrahim Pasha Palace)

Ibrahim Pasha, who was the first counselor of Suleyman the Magnificent, married Suleyman’s sister as the sultan ascended the throne, thus occupying a very important place in the palace hierarchy. The palace bearing his name was built in the 16th century. After Ibrahim Pasha was strangled on the order of Hürrem Sultan, his properties were confiscated by the government. The palace was later used as a military barracks for new recruits. In the Republican era, after being restored and repaired, it was re-opened as museum for Turkish and Islamic arts.

At Meydani No. 46, Sultanahmet

Tel: (0212) 518 1805 / 518 180

Vedat Nedim Tör Museum

This museum is located in the Yapi Kredi Bank building in Galatasaray and contains a collection of coins, embroidered textiles, gold covered copper objects, calligraphy, rosaries, Karagöz figures and ethnographic works.

Open to the public during exhibitions around central themes.

Istiklal Caddesi No. 285, Beyoglu

Tel: (0212) 245 2041 / 252 4700

Yerebatan Cistern (Basilica Cistern)

Cities in ancient and medieval times were always in danger of siege. In a siege, the main problem was inadequate supply of food and water. The Roman and Byzantine emperors built huge cisterns to solve this problem. The Yerebatan cistern, which was built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, was called the basilica cistern because the "trade basilica" stood on the ground above. It can hold up to 80,000 cubic meters of water, covers an area of 140 x 70 meters and is supported by 336 columns. Two of the column heads are adorned with Medusa heads.

Yerebatan Caddesi No. 13, Sultanahmet

Tel: (0212) 522 1259