One of the nuances that travelers to Istanbul are most interested in is what are the interesting and must-see museums. In this blog we have prepared for you, we have mentioned the best museums you can visit in Istanbul.
Topkapı Palace is located in Sultanahmet, the most touristic area of Istanbul. Built in the 1400s, the palace is one of the most important works of Classical Ottoman architecture.
An average of 3 million people visit Topkapı Palace every year. Consisting of four large courtyards, the palace promises a journey in contact with nature. The palace also contains structures such as the Aya Irini Church and the Istanbul Archeology Museums.
The history of Topkapi Palace dates back to the 15th century. Built by Fateh Mehmet in 1460s, Ottoman sultans and their relatives lived here until 1856.
Topkapı Palace, the most beautiful representative of classical Ottoman architecture, lost its importance in the 19th century. The Sultans moved to the Dolmabahçe Palace, distinguished by its Neo-Classical and Baroque architecture, on the shores of the Bosphorus. However, Topkapı Palace, the residence of the ancestors, was not completely abandoned.
When the Ottoman Empire spread over three continents and reached its greatest limits, powerful rulers like Suleiman the Magnificent stayed in this humble palace. The palace consists of four large courtyards and has a structure intertwined with nature. Visiting the palace takes about 3 hours.
The price list for foreigners in Topkapi Palace is completely different. The entrance fee to Topkapı Palace for foreign tourists is 750 TL ( 30 USD). This ticket includes 4 courtyards of the palace and Aya Irina. The price of the combined ticket including the harem is 950 TL (59 AZN).
Visiting hours of Topkapi Palace in 2023 are from 09:00 am to 18:00 pm. Ticket offices close at 17:00. Note that the museum is closed on Tuesdays. Visiting hours information was last updated on August 9, 2023.
Galata Tower is the best place in the city for those who want to see the panoramic view of Istanbul. The tower, which is a military building from the Byzantine era, is functioning as a museum today.
The history of Galata Tower goes back 700 years. The construction of the tower coincides with the last years of the Byzantine Empire. The builders of the castle were the Republic of Genoa, an Italian city-state.
In 2023, the entrance fee to Galata Tower is 650 Turkish lira (25 USD). Since the Galata Tower is already affiliated to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, a museum card is valid at the entrance. Information about ticket prices was last updated on August 9, 2023.
Galata Tower visiting hours are between 08:30 and 23:00. Ticket sales at the box office end at 10:00 p.m. The museum can be visited every day of the week. Information about the opening and closing hours of the museum was last updated on August 9, 2023.
Yerebatan Sarnıcı is one of the most mysterious places in Istanbul. The cistern in Sultanahmet district is located a few minutes' walk from Hagia Sophia. In this article, you will find brief information about the history and architecture of the Underground Cistern. In addition, the entrance fee and visiting hours of Yerebatan Cistern are also mentioned in the current form.
Since Yerebatan Sarnıcı is in the most touristic part of Istanbul, there are many things to see around it.
The history of the Underground Cistern goes back 1500 years. In the Byzantine period, Sultanahmet, the center of the city, had palaces and administrative buildings. The Underground Cistern was built to supply water to these imperial buildings.
Under the historic peninsula there are hundreds of cisterns from the Byzantine period. If you look carefully, you will see that even in Hagia Sophia Square or the second half of Topkapı Palace, there are palaces with visible red brick ceilings.
These cisterns served as a source of water for the townspeople in the Middle Ages. There are hundreds of cisterns under Fatih district, which we know as Surichi. The bottom of the district resembles an underground city. In recent years, tours have been organized with ballet artists called "Istanbul Metro", which tells about these mysterious systems.
A different rate applies to foreign visitors to the museum. The entrance fee to Yerebatan Sarnıcı for foreign tourists is 350 TL. The museum card sold for foreigners (Museum Pass Istanbul) is not valid in this museum
A luxurious palace built in the last years of the Ottoman Empire. In this article, you can find brief information about the history and architecture of Dolmabagcha Palace. In addition, information such as the entrance fee and visiting hours of the Dolmabagcha Palace Museum in 2023 has been recorded in an updated form.
To see the most beautiful of the Dolmabahçe Palace, I recommend a Bosphorus tour in Istanbul. Because the side of the palace facing the Bosphorus is decorated with beautiful masonry and allows you to take beautiful photos. There is no decoration on the dry side of Dolmabahçe Palace.
The history of Dolmabagcha Palace begins in the 19th century when Sultan Abdulmajid left the traditional Topkapı Palace. In the last century of the Ottoman Empire, under the influence of westernization, a new palace was built on the shores of the Bosphorus.
The price list for foreigners in Dolmabagcha Palace is completely different. The entrance fee to Dolmabagcha Palace for foreign tourists is 650 TL. A combined ticket for tourists also covers all three parts of the palace.
Rahmi M. Koç Museum is the first important museum dedicated to the history of Transport, Industry and Communication in Turkey. Housed in magnificent buildings on the shores of the Golden Horn, pioneers of industrial archaeology, its collection includes thousands of objects ranging from gramophone needles to life-size ships and aircraft.
The museum location is quite ambitious with its historical location and proximity to both sides of Istanbul. The museum's worldwide admiration stems from the objects created by its talented engineers and craftsmen, which reflect the ingenuity and industriousness of mankind.
Our museum has educated, informed and entertained tens of thousands of adults and students every year. Please explore our website and enjoy the facilities on display. but best to visit us as soon as possible
Rahmi M. Koch Museum price for foreigners is 160 TL.
Miniatürk, which set out with the slogan 'Small Model of the Big Country', became the showcase of Turkey.
1/25 of 137 architectural works in Miniatürk, 60 works from Istanbul, 64 works from Anatolia and 13 works from Ottoman geography outside Turkey were selected from among thousands of historical works from Turkey and Ottoman geography due to their recognition. ability to represent the period.Miniaturized models are included.
Miniaturk, along with all the values that make Anatolia Anatolia, is not limited to Turkey and Turkish culture, but bears the traces of a whole experience in the nearby geography. Traces of civilizations dating back 3,000 years to the Golden Horn, where peace, tolerance and justice reign, are brought together in this park.
On the one hand, caravanserais, complexes, madrasahs, bridges, railway stations, piers, fortresses, walls, tombs, mosques, churches, synagogues, palaces, coastal residences, obelisks, monuments and statues, on the other, rare natural structures. From Pamukkale to Fairy Chimneys, it has been carefully selected by a team of experts from around the world.
The Temple of Artemis, which was built in Anatolia and was considered among the seven wonders of the world in ancient times, and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus are also exhibited in the area.
The Temple of Artemis, which was built in Anatolia and was considered among the seven wonders of the world in ancient times, and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus are also exhibited in the area.
Everything in Miniaturk is so faithful to its original that you feel as if you have traveled the whole country from east to west, from north to south at once. Of course, it is not the same as seeing the original works, but apart from the longing to see the original when you see the miniatures, it is another pleasure to watch those rare structures from this perspective.
The entrance ticket for foreigners in Miniaturk is 160 TL.
"Istanbul Modern", Turkey's first modern and contemporary art museum, mediates the sharing and transmission of our country's artistic heritage to the world and brings together works produced from different geographies in Istanbul.
It collects, preserves, exhibits, researches and documents works of art with a vision of supporting the diversity of artistic expression. It increases access to the arts through interdisciplinary exhibitions, educational programs and events, and contributes to the production and international collaborations of artists.
It supports inclusivity and creativity with the goal of creating a sustainable art ecosystem and encourages audiences of all ages and backgrounds to engage in dialogue, wonder and reflection with modern and contemporary art.
Internationally oriented programs take advantage of technological developments to enhance interaction between artists and audiences and provide a versatile museum experience.
Tickets to the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art are 350 TL for foreigners.
The Maiden's Tower is a structure built on a small island located on the coast of Salacak in the Bosphorus near the Sea of Marmara.
After the naval victory at Cyzicus in 408 BC, the Athenian general Alcibiades built a special station on a small rock in front of Uskudar, probably for ships coming from the Black Sea.
The tower, which has become a symbol of Üsküdar, is the only work left from the Byzantine period in Üsküdar. It dates back to 24 BC.
The island, which first hosted a tomb during the Greek era, was used as a customs post with an additional building built during the Byzantine era. During the Ottoman period, it was given many functions, from a demonstration platform to a defensive fortress, from an exile station to a quarantine room. With a lighthouse that has existed for centuries, it has never lost its primary function of guiding people and passing ships at night.
Some European historians call it Leander's Tower. There are many rumors about the tower. The tower, which in ancient times was called archla (small castle) and damialis (calf), became famous for a while under the name "Tour de Leandros" (Castle of Leandros). It is now integrated and known as Maiden's Castle.
Maiden Tower Entrance Ticket: 550 TL
In the Chocolate Museum located within the Pelit Chocolate Manufacturing Enterprises, from chocolate to art masterpieces rare in the world, fairy-tale heroes, sculptures of famous legends are prepared and presented to chocolate and art lovers. Strolling among the chocolate waterfalls and inhaling the smell of chocolate in the Pelit Chocolate Museum, which is one of the museums to visit with children in Istanbul, is great fun for both adults and children. Chocolate and cake making workshops for children are also organized in this big chocolate dream. The museum consists of 5 sections. At the entrance, you are greeted by a chocolate waterfall, the most spoiled image of chocolate, a life-size chocolate house, Noah's ark and paintings on the history of chocolate.
Main hall: Chocolate waterfall, life-size chocolate house, Noah's ark, chocolate paintings.
Istanbul Hall: Symbolic and historically important places of the city are made of chocolate. Galata Castle, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Maiden's Castle and Bosphorus Bridge.
Hall of Turkish Elders: The heroes and valuable elders of our country who left a mark in history are displayed. Atatürk, Osman Gazi, Fatih Sultan Mehmet.
Hall of Artists: Chocolate paintings with an important place in the history of art.
Hall of Civilizations: Presentations from the Ottoman, Byzantine, Ancient Greek and Hittite periods.
Entrance ticket to Pelit Chocolate Museum is 200 TL.