Museums in İstanbul

Archaeological Museum:
Archaeological museum this complex was the end of the 19th Century by the architect Vallaury thanks to great efforts of famous Turkish painter Osman Hamdi Bey build. It includes the exquisite Tiled Kiosk and the Museum of the Ancient Orient and houses a large collection of artifacts and works of art belonging to ancient Greek, Roman and other Anatolian civilizations dating from the 6th Century BC. The sarcophagus of Alexander the Great, Sarcophagus of Mourning Ladies, and other ancient sarcophagi and various objects in the Sidon excavation are among the most interesting pieces.

Ancient Eastern Archeological Museum was designed and open for 1917 by Halil Bey Eldem service. The collection shows together at some 15,000 archaeological pieces of Ancient Mesopotamia, Pre-Greek Anatolia, Assyrian, Sumerian, Acadian, Babylonian, Egyptian and ancient pre-Islamic Arabic culture.

Open daily from 9.30 to 16.30 except Mondays between clock. Osman Hamdi Bey Yokusu, Gulhane, Eminonu Tel: (212) 520 77 40 and 41 Admission: 10 TL



Hagia Sophia (Hagia Sophia) Museum:
Hagia Sophia (Hagia Sophia) churchThe old Byzantine church built by Justinian I between 532-537 AD after the Nika Riot, was later a mosque with the addition of minarets in the middle of the 15th Century rebuilt. The remarkable structure with its 56m high immense dome is now a museum where you both Christian and Islamic art are visible. There are good examples of Byzantine mosaics as well. For about 1000 years ago, this was the largest church in the world, and the glory of the Byzantine Empire.

Open daily from 9.30 to 16.30 except Mondays between clock. Sultan Ahmet Meydani, Eminonu Tel: (212) 522 17 50 and 528 45 00 Admission: 20 TL


St. Savior in Chora (Kariye) Museum:

St. Saviour in Chora churchAncient Byzantine church, the first in the 6th was built as a monastery century AD and restored several times in the 9th, 11th and 12 Century, renovated, and finally in the 14th by Theodore Metochites, Minister of the Byzantine Empire, from which we have the best of mosaics. It was the 15th in a mosque Century after the conquest of the city transformed. Today it is a museum of Byzantine mosaics and frescoes. The typical Ottoman district of wooden houses is also very interesting to stroll.

Open daily from 9.30 to 16.00 except Wednesday between clock. Edirnekapi, Fatih Tel: (212) 631 92 41 Admission: 15 TL


Fethiye Mosque (Church Pammakaristos) Museum:
The Byzantine church was built in 1261 and in honor of the Virgin "Pammakaristos" The Most Happy. After the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 it was used as a convent and it was converted from the Orthodox Christian Patriarchate of 1455 to see 1587, then changed into a mosque named after Fethiye. His parekleison (funeral corridor) was recently a museum where you beuatiful Byzantine mosaics and frescoes from the 14th Century opened to see.

Open daily from 9.30 to 16.30 except Wednesday between clock. Fethiye Camii, Carsamba - Fatih Admission: 5 TL

The Atatürk Museum:

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk - founder of modern turkey house where Ataturk lived and worked before the War of Independence during his stay was in Istanbul between 1918 and 1919, originally in 1908, built and restored by the Municipality of Istanbul in 1943, opening to the public in 1981st Attic of the building was reserved for his mother and his sister Makbule Zubeyde Hanim, now middle floor for himself and lower floor for his loyal officer Ataturk.

On display are photographs of Ataturk from his birth until his death, and some of his clothing, personal items and paintings.
Open daily from 9.30 to 16.00 between clock except Thursdays and Sundays. Halaskargazi Caddesi No: 250, Sisli Tel: (212) 240 63 19



Asiyan Museum:

This museum is the former residence of famous Turkish poet Tevfik Fikret (1867-1915) who built the building itself. In addition to an exhibition of personal belongings of Fikret there is a room dedicated to the poet Nigar Hanim and displaying some of the things from Abdülhak Hamit. It is in Asiyan neighborhood on the Bosporus.
Open daily from 9.00 to 16.00 between clock except Sundays and Mondays. Asiyan Yokusu, Bebek Tel: (212) 263 69 86


Calligraphy Museum:

The Beyazid Madrasa, which was used as a community library since 1945, was evacuated, restored and new as the Turkish Calligraphic Arts Museum. It has interesting and valuable examples of Turkish art of the pen, Korans, imperial seals, diplomas, Hilyer-i serif (descriptions of the Prophet), equipment and apparatus for calligraphic writing, samples of bookbinding, relics and miniatures, mainly Ottoman and Seljuk period.
Open daily from 9.00 to 16.00 between clock except Sundays and Mondays. Beyazit Meydani, Eminonu Tel: (212) 527 58 51

Sadberk Hanim Museum:

Founded by the Vehbi Koc Foundation in 1980 in the historic Azaryan residence on the Bosphorus, this museum is a beautiful three-story "Yali" (old Ottoman house) and houses a rich collection of Anatolian-based works of art, antiques and relics from 6000 BC . It is the first private museum of Turkey opened by Koc family, the richest of Turkey.

Open daily from 10.00 to 17.00 clock except Wednesday between. Piyasa Caddesi No :27-29, Buyukdere - Sariyer Tel: (212) 242 38 13 and 14

Museum of Modern Art:

Opened its doors in December 2004 due Eczacibasi family, this is the first and only museum of modern art in Istanbul. It is in the renovated old docks in Karaköy housed district against the Topkapi Palace, with a rich library, exhibitions, photo gallery, sculpture, cinema, cafe and gift shop. One can see in this private museum almost everything about modern Turkish art.
Open daily from 10.00 to 18.00 except Mondays between clock. Meclisi Mebusan Cad. Liman Isletmeleri Antrepo 4, Karakoy Tel: (212) 334 73 00 Admission: 7 TL

Painting & Sculpture Museum:

The museum opened in 1937 in the crown prince suites of Dolmabahce Palace of the order of Atatürk. It was the first art museum in Turkey and one in Istanbul until recently. The permanent collection presents a panoramic view of the Turkish Fine Arts and also includes works by famous artists, an impressionist collection, sculptures and works of military painters in several halls and exhibition rooms. Occasionally there are also painting classes during the year.

Every day between 12.00 to 16.00 except Mondays and Tuesdays. Dolmabahce Sarayi yani, Besiktas Tel: (212) 261 42 98 and 99