Museums in Istanbul

Dolmabahce Palace
Dolmabahce Palace, a shore palace built by the brothers Nikagos and Karabet Balyan in 1853 for the Ottoman Sultan Abdulmecid II, was the most monumental work of the time. Its construction lasted for 11 years costing five million Ottoman gold pieces, the equivalent of 35 tonnes of gold. The Palace was the official residence of several Ottoman Sultans in the 19th and early 20th centuries. With the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Dolmabahce Palace remained empty till Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the first president of turkey, took up residence there. Ataturk stayed in the palace between 1 July 1927 and 10 November 1938. His bedchamber where he died in 10 November 1938 was in the Harem section. Today Dolmabahce is a museum under the auspices of the Department of National Palaces of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

Dolmabahce, Besiktas
Telephone: 90-212-2369000
Open daily except Mondays and Thursdays, 09:30-16:00

Haghia Sophia
Haghia Sophia, the "Church of Holy Wisdom," was built by the Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. More than 1400 years old, Haghia Sophia covers a total area of 7570 square meters and is over 100 metres long. Never again did the Byzantines attempt to build anything approaching the scale of Haghia Sophia.

After 916 years as a church, Haghia Sophia was converted into a mosque in 1453, shortly after the conquest. Apart from whitewashing the paintings and mosaics and removing the Christian icons and statues, the Turks left Haghia Sophia untouched. They committed no acts of destruction as the eighth and ninth century Christian iconoclasts had done. In 1935 the church was transformed into a museum.

Sultanahmet Square
Telephone: 90-212-5220989 | 90-212-5221750
Open daily except Mondays, 09:30-17:00

Ihlamur Palace
Ihlamur Palace, a smaller version of Dolmabahce, was designed by the famous Imperial Architect Nigogos Balyan as a summer palace along the lines of Dolmabahce. Constructed between 1849-1855, the palace consists of two mansions. The main mansion was exclusively the Sultan's and the other provided lodgings for his entourage.

The Imperial Gate was reserved for the Sultan, his family and royal visitors only. The other two gates were used by foreign diplomats and guests. The large central pool, baroque in style and adorned with statues of lions was once surrounded by rose-beds. Its graceful and magnificent interior reflects a synthesis of western styles.

Ihlamur Yolu, Besiktas
Telephone: 90-212-2588903 | 90-212-2595086
Open daily except Mondays and Thursdays, 09:30-16:00
(October to February: 09:00-15:00)

Kucuksu Summer Palace
This palace was constructed under the supervision of Grand Vizier Divitdar Emin Mehmet Pasa for Sultan Mahmut I. The Palace, made entirely out of timber, was renovated by Mustafa III, Selim III and Mahmut II. This wooden palace was torn down by Abdulmecid to be replaced by a stone version in 1856. The Palace was designed by Nigagos Balyan in European architectural style. Extensive restoration of the palace took place in the era of Abdulaziz. The last imperial visitors of the palace were Mehmet V Resat and Caliph Abdulmecid. After the establishment of the Turkish Republic, president Mustafa Kemal Ataturk occasionally visited the palace. In 1983, the palace was opened to the public as a museum.

Anadolu Hisari
Telephone: 90-216-3323320
Open daily except Thursdays, 09:30-16:00
(October-February, 09:00-15:00)

Maslak Pavillions
The Pavillions, built in the early and mid-19th century, set in a wooded park with an area of 170.000 square metres. The Pavillions are royal lodges and country residences. The main Kasr-i Hümayün, the Mabeyn-i Hümayun , the Çadir Kösk and the Pasalar Dairesi are some of the lodges within the area.

Maslak, Levent
Telephone: 90-212-2761022
Open daily except Mondays and Thursdays, 09:30-16:00

The Military Museum
This was once used to be military academy where Ataturk studied from 1899-1905, traces the military history of the country from the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 to modern warfare. Among the objects displayed are curved daggers carried by foot soldiers in the 15th century; 17th century copper head armour for horses and Ottoman shields carried by the janissaries; tents used by sultans on their campaigns.

Vali Konagi Caddesi, Harbiye
Telephone: 90-212-2337115
Open daily except Thursdays and Sundays, 09:30-17:00

Mosaic Museum
The marketplace behind the Sultanahmet Mosque is situated on the remains of a great palace of the Byzantine Emperors. The mosaics discovered are thought to decorate the floor of a large hall in the palace. Scenes depicted by these realistic mosaics panels show a variety of wild and domestic beasts and includes some hunting and fighting scenes. Following the discovery of these mosaics, other mosaics unearthed in other sections of the city were framed by concrete panels and brought to the museum to be displayed.

Arasta Carsisi, Sultanahmet
Telephone: 90-212-5181205
Open daily except Tuesdays, 09:30-17:00

The Museum of Calligraphy
Once a medrese of Beyazit Mosque, this is the only museum of its kind. It contains a beautiful collection of calligraphy and illumination. There are also examples of calligraphy on stone and glass as well as the tools used in calligraphy.

Beyazit Meydani, Beyazit
Telephone: 90-212-5275851
Open daily except Mondays and Sundays , 09:00-12:00 / 13:00-16:00

Museum of Divan Literature
Museum of Divan Literature (Galata Mevlihanesi) is the oldest Mevlevi dervish lodge in Istanbul. The Mevlevi order was named after its founder, Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi, one of the greatest philosophers of Islam (13th century). Mevlana's wisdom and knowledge attracted students to his theological school and his mystic approach to philosophy gave birth to a number of disciples. Galata Mevlihanesi continued its religious functions until the closing of the dervish lodges in 1925. It later became the Museum of Divan Literature.

Galipdede Caddesi, Tunel
Telephone: 90-212-2454141 | 90-212-2435045
Open daily except Mondays , 09:30-17:00

Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
Located in Ibrahim Pasa Palace, the palace contains a famous collection of carpets, sculpture, ceramics and metalwork: a collection of over 40.000 items. On the ground floor, an ethnographic section focuses on the lifestyles of different Turkish people.

Ibrahim Pasa Sarayi, Sultanahmet
Telephone: 90-212-5181805
Open daily except Mondays, 09:30-17:00

Naval Museum
The Naval Museum, harboring artifacts from the history of Turkish naval warfare, was founded in 1897 at the Taskizak Docks. The museum moved to the district of Kasimpasa along the Golden Horn in 1940's. Twenty years later, it was relocated to the finance building in Besiktas. Among the objects displayed are some of Ataturk's personal belongings, his photos, objects from yachts he used in the Ataturk's Room; objects and paintings of Savarona Yacht in which Ataturk stayed in the Savarona Room; the name plates, portraits, personal belongings of Turkish Seamen killed in battles or died while performing their missions in the Martyrs Room; hand made and printed maps showing the Ottoman Empire and Mediterranean World from 1461 and 19th in the Maps and Charts Room; Turkish Naval uniforms in the Uniform Room; the galleon of the Sultan Mehmet IV, original rowboats used by the Turkish court personnel until the 20th century in the Caiques Gallery; ship anchors , naval and land cannons, torpedoes, inscriptions of naval buildings, tombstones of Turkish seamen and the German Submarine UB 46 sunk in the Black Sea in 1916.

Iskele Caddesi, Besiktas
Telephone: 90-212-2610040
Open daily except Mondays and Tuesdays, 09:30-17:00

The Basilica Cistern
The Basilica Cistern, also known as the "Sunken Palace," was constructed by Justinian in 532 to supply the Byzantine Palace primarily. It fell out of use with the Turkish conquest and is the largest of all Istanbul's ancient cisterns. The cistern was restored in 1980's and today walkways have been constructed right through the cistern and subdued illumination lends the place a suitably mysterious atmosphere.

Yerebatan Caddesi, Sultanahmet
Telephone: 90-212-5221259
Open daily except Mondays, 09:00-18:00
(October to March: 09:00-17:00)

Topkapi Palace Museum
Topkapi Palace, the imperial residence of the Ottoman Sultans for four centuries, lies at the tip of the headland at the mouth of the Bosphorus Strait. In Byzantine times, monasteries and public houses belonging to the priests of Haghia Sophia stood on this site which is dominated today by complex of buildings forming Topkapi Palace. It is possible that the first builders of Topkapi Palace made use of existing foundations and retaining walls, hence the non-axial plan of the palace. Undoubtedly Topkapi involved a synthesis of Byzantine elements but what grew up on the peninsula by the Golden Horn cannot possibly be divorced from its predecessors in Ottoman history.

Sarayici, Sultanahmet
Telephone: 90-212-5120480
Open daily except Tuesdays, 09:30-16:00
Harem section can be visited only by a guided tour and tickets should be purchased separately.

Yildiz Palace
The Yildiz Palace is a vast complex of mansions and pavillions extending from Yildiz Hill to the district of Besiktas and from there on to Ortakoy. During the reign of Abdulhamid II, the complex was covering an area of over 500.000 square meters including pavilions such as the Queen Mother's Mansion, the Pavillion Mansion, the Island Mansion, the Lesser Ceremonial Mansion and the Princes Mansion. The Yildiz Palace complex displays a variety of styles, forms and techniques since its prominent architects include Sarkis Balyan, Agop Balyan and Raimondo d'Aronco. The Palace contains several artifacts from the Yildiz Porcelain factory that consists of cups, vases, dishes, bowls, bottles, basins, penholders and many more wonders still on display at the Palace.

Yildiz, Besiktas
Telephone: 90-212-2583080
Open daily except Mondays and Thursdays, 09:30-16:00
(October to February: 09:00-15:00)