Numerous museums in Istanbul are definitely worth a visit. If you only take into consideration that Istanbul is several thousand years old then it is not hard to immagine how rich cultural heritage this city actually has. Here you will find a list of the best museum to visit in Istanbul. You will find all details about the museums as well as ticket prices, working hours of each museum and their locations so that you can plan your visit.
The Archaeological Museum in Istanbul is the most visited museum. It is located near the Topkapi Palace and consists of three parts, ie the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of the Orient and the Museum of Islamic Art. Sultan Abdul Aziz, at the time when the idea for an archaeological museum appeared, was fascinated by museums in European cities, in Paris and in Vienna and in London. During the 19th century, efforts were made to modernize the Ottoman Empire. Then the sultan came up with the idea that he wanted the same or similar archaeological museums in Istanbul.
Pera Museum - Another very beautiful and attractive museum is located in the Tepebaşı district. The modern building in which it is located is breathtaking. With a very rich art collection, it was opened to the public on June 8, 2005. It represents a private museum established by the Sun and Inan Kirac foundation. The stunning building is the work of architect Achille Manusos, built in the neoclassical style, and its original purpose was to be a hotel. The building was completed in 1893 and belonged to the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate. Hotel Bristol was one of the most famous hotels, and was visited by many important guests of that time. It was one of the best hotels, it offered comfortable suites, a large and beautiful hall, marble stairs, an elevator.
Another very interesting and extremely visited museum in Istanbul is the Rahmi M. Koc Museum. Museum of the History of Transport, Industry and Communication. It is located on the coast of the Golden Horn, in two historic buildings of beautiful architecture. Visiting the museum is a nice experience for both adults and children. In it you can see exhibitions of cars, ships and airplanes in real sizes. In the collection, which is very rich, there are over a thousand exhibits. The museum is privately owned by the Koc group, and the name of the Rahmi M. Koc museum was obtained after a member of Turkey's richest family. The museum was founded in 1991, and was officially opened three years later, on December 13, 1994.
Sirkeci Railway Museum is one of the favorite museums to visit. The first Sirkeci station was built in 1890 and was the eastern terminus of the Orient Express. After the opening of the new Sirkeci station, the old station did not fall into oblivion, but on September 23, 2005 it received a small museum inside its building. The museum with over 300 exhibits presents the railway traffic of Turkey throughout history in the best possible way. Although it is small, in it you can see a rich exhibition collection consisting of photographs, various documents, train parts, things that were used in the Orient Express, office equipment, plates, signaling equipment, timetables, telephones, etc.
Visiting museums should start at the Turkish and Islamic Art Museum in order to get acquainted with the traditions of Turkey and all the symbols of its history. The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art is one of the largest museums and is located in the Fatih district near the Blue Mosque. The palace was built in 1524 and belonged to the second grand vizier of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
