If you’ve already visited some of Istanbul’s most famous museums (*ahem* Dolmabahce, Topkapi Museum, or the Istanbul Archaeological Museum) and want something more, why not take a trip to these awesome yet lesser-known museums in Istanbul?
From dolls made to look like Ottoman emperors and their wives to cartoon caricatures, remnants of the Orient Express, and exhibits on Istanbul’s furry residents (cats!), there are plenty of unusual museums in Istanbul that you should definitely visit — which is why we created this blog post!
Helpful Tips Before Visiting
🏛️ Make sure to check the opening hours: As a general rule, most museums in Istanbul are closed on Mondays, although this can vary from museum to museum. It’s always a good idea to go to the museum’s website and double-check before your visit, as your trip might coincide with public or religious holidays (like Ramadan).
🏛️ Check the location: A few museums are located a bit further from the touristy areas (such as the Sadberk Hanim Museum). We recommend checking out nearby attractions and making a fun day trip out of your visit. 🙂
🏛️ Museum free days: Our list has a mix of free and paid museums. Museums that usually have an entry fee may sometimes host free days — for example, the Sabanci Museum usually costs 300 TL, but has free entry on Tuesdays!
🏛️ Give yourself plenty of time: Last but certainly not least, we recommend skimming over the museum’s Google or Tripadvisor reviews to get a sense of how long you can expect to be there. This is especially important for larger museums (such as the Rahmi M Koc Museum), which are huge and can take hours to get through. What we mean to say is, don’t arrive 30 minutes before closing if you want to have an enjoyable experience. 🙂
Gazhane Museum
If you’re looking for an alternative museum in Istanbul, there’s no better place than Müze Gazhane. In fact, you could spend a whole day exploring this cultural center!
Originally built as a coal gas factory to power the Asian side of Istanbul in the late 1800s, the then-Hasanpaşa Gazhanesi fell into disrepair during the 1990s as natural gas became more popular. It took 8 years to restore the complex to its former glory, and Müze Gazhane officially opened in mid-2021.
Gazhane now functions as a cultural and arts center, with two museums, an art gallery, a library with 10,000+ books, a study and work area, bookstore, cafe, and even an outdoor theater.
The two museums in Gazhane are the Museum of Cartoon and Humor and the Climate Museum. Both museums have exhibits in English and Turkish, plus bonus temporary exhibits throughout the year.
📍 Entry: Free 🙂
📍 Address: Hasanpaşa, Kurbağalıdere Cd. No:125, 34722 Kadıköy/İstanbul
📍 Working hours: Both museums work 9:00 to 18:00 weekdays and 10:00 to 18:00 weekends. Closed on Monday. Click here to see hours for other places on the campus.
📍 More information: https://muzegazhane.istanbul/
Sadberk Hanim Museum
Opened in 1980, Turkey’s first private museum is a stunning display of more than 3,000 items from the private collection of Vehbi and Sadberk Koç, one of Turkey’s most prominent business families.
The museum has a special focus on the heritage of Anatolia (Turkey), including archaeological artifacts, Islamic and Ottoman art, paintings, costumes, ceramics, and furniture.
Although the museum is a bit far from the touristic areas, it makes for a wonderful day trip — you can take the Rumeli Kavağı – Eminönü ferry line, get off at Sarıyer pier, and visit the museum. Afterwards, grab a coffee at the very aesthetic Espressolab cafe or enjoy fresh seafood at one of the many fish restaurants in the area. 🙂
📍 Entry: 350 TL for adults, 80 TL for students
📍 Address: Piyasa Caddesi No: 25 Büyükdere 34453, Sariyer
📍 Working hours: 10:00 to 17:00. Closed Wednesdays.
📍 More information: https://www.sadberkhanimmuzesi.org.tr/en/
Istanbul Railway Museum
While the original Orient Express is long gone, there’s still a remnant of the era’s glamor and charm at the Istanbul Railway Museum.
The Orient Express, which ran from Paris to Istanbul, was an extraordinary journey marked with opulent decor, exquisite dining, and interesting passengers. The original route was in operation from 1883 to 1977, and nowadays the route’s terminal station in Istanbul — Sirkeci Terminal — conveniently houses the Istanbul Railway Museum.
While the Railway Museum is only one room, it still has an impressive collection of more than 300 artifacts from various eras, including fine silverware from the Orient Express, an original conductor’s uniform, Ottoman-era documents (fun fact: the Sultan didn’t mind that the original railway tracks would go through his palace in Topkapi), and more. Of course, there are also plenty of other objects belonging to the TCDD (Turkish Railways).
If you have any questions, there’s a friendly attendant who will be happy to answer them.
📍 Entry: Free
📍 Address: Hoca Paşa, Sirkeci İstasyon Cd. No:2, 34110 Fatih/İstanbul
📍 Working hours: 9:30 to 17:00. Closed on Mondays.
📍 More information: https://www.tcdd.gov.tr/en/museums/istanbul-railway-museum
The Istanbul Cat Museum
Istanbul’s newest museum is dedicated to the city’s furry locals: cats! Opened in 2023, this adorable museum is spread across two floors and has more than 1,000 objects related to felines, including various children’s toys, magazines, books, games, memorabilia, and more — there’s even a ‘cat passport’ among the collection!
The majority of exhibits come from the personal collection of a local artist, Sunay Akın, who spent years collecting cat-themed items from around the world. The collections are centered around themes, and there are placards with explanations in English and Turkish.
The museum takes about an hour to go from start to finish (or a bit more if you’re traveling with curious kids!), and you can combine it with a trip to the Atatürk Museum (a direct 15-minute bus trip).
📍 Entry: Free
📍 Address: Yıldız Mah. Çırağan Cad. No:77 Beşiktaş İstanbul
📍 Working hours: Between 9:00 to 17:00 on weekdays and 10:00 to 18:00 on weekends. Closed Mondays.
📍 More information: https://besiktas.bel.tr/projeler/kedi-muzesi
The Museum of Innocence
One of the most unique museums in Istanbul (and perhaps even the world), the Museum of Innocence is actually based off of a book written by legendary Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk of the same name. The novel, set in Istanbul during the 1970’s and 80s, follows the story of a wealthy Istanbullite and his unrequited love for a younger woman. One of the main themes of the book is the protagonist’s obsession over the woman and how he created a museum in honor of her.
Interestingly, Pamuk (the novel’s author) stated that the book and the museum are not intertwined, and one doesn’t need to read the book in order to visit the museum (although it certainly helps). The museum took more than 20 years to complete: Pamuk spent many weekends sorting through antique stores and bazaars in the 1990s while writing the book. Each of the museum’s 83 displays corresponds to a chapter in the novel, and there is an optional audio guide to get a better idea of each theme.
Located a short walk from Istiklal Avenue, the Museum of Innocence is hard to miss: it’s the vibrant red building 🙂
📍 Entry: 400 TL per person. Students and those aged 65+ pay 280 TL. If you have a physical copy of the book, you can get a free ticket (be sure to bring the book with you, since the ticket is on the last page!). Audio guide extra +20 TL.
📍 Address: Çukurcuma Caddesi, Dalgıç Çıkmazı, 2, 34425, Beyoğlu, Istanbul
📍 Working hours: 10:00 to 18:00. Closed Mondays.
📍 More information: https://www.masumiyetmuzesi.org/
Jewish Museum of Turkey
Although Turkey is a country with a predominantly Muslim population, other religions like Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Judaism have also made their mark over thousands of years. One excellent example is the Jewish Museum of Turkey, which is set in a 300-year old synagogue in Galata, a neighborhood which used to be predominantly Jewish during the 1500s.
The museum has collections spanning over 2,600 years of Turkish Jewish heritage, including ethnographic artifacts, a section on daily life, letters, maps, photographs, clothing, and much more. There are also interactive exhibits with touch screens and videos, plus a temporary exhibit on the lower floor.
Note: Be sure to take your passport (or other government ID) with you, since there’s a security check at the entrance.
📍 Entry: 300 TL adults and 150 TL students
📍 Address: Bereketzade Mahallesi, Büyük Hendek Caddesi No: 39, Beyoğlu, İstanbul
📍 Working hours: Monday through Thursday 10 to 17:00. Friday 10 to 13:00. Sunday 10 to 17:00. Closed Saturday.
📍 More information: https://www.muze500.com/index.php?lang=en
Atatürk Museum
If you’ve traveled around Istanbul (or Turkey), you’ve probably seen his image on flags, as statues, and even on the back of the Turkish Lira — of course, we’re talking about Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the first president and founder of modern Turkey. If you want to get to know the man behind history, the Atatürk Museum is the perfect place to do so!
Located in Atatürk’s former house in Sisli, the museum is a three-story building that has hundreds of his personal belongings, clothing, photographs, documents, portraits, and more. It’s definitely one of the lesser-known museums in Istanbul, which makes it even more interesting.
There’s an English audio guide to help you learn more about the exhibits, but you’ll need to leave a government ID as a deposit.
📍 Entry: Free
📍 Address: Meşrutiyet, Halaskargazi Cd. No:140, 34363 Şişli/İstanbul
📍 Working hours: 9:00 to 17:00. Closed Mondays.
Rahmi M Koc Museum
Opened in 1994, the Rahmi Koc Museum has quite the history: it was created after Mr. Koc visited the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan and was so inspired that he decided to open a similar institution in Istanbul.
Although the Rahmi M Koc Museum is dedicated to the history of transportation and technology, you don’t have to be a car enthusiast to appreciate the exhibits — it’s interesting for everyone. 🙂
The museum is divided into various sections, including road transportation (cars and motorcycles), railroad transport, maritime and ships, aviation, plus exhibits on technology (there’s a copy of Thomas Edison’s telegraph!), engineering, and model toys.
Most of the items at the museum come from Mr. Koc’s private collection (the Koc family is one of the wealthiest families in the country), as well as loans from other museums or donors. We recommend at least 2 to 3 hours to get through the exhibits, as the museum is huge.
If you’re traveling around Turkey, there’s also a Koc Museum in Ayvalık and Ankara!
📍 Entry: 700 TL for adults, 350 TL for students
📍 Address: Hasköy Cad. No: 5 Hasköy 34445, Istanbul
📍 Working hours: Tuesday to Friday 9:30 to 17:00. Saturday and Sunday 10 to 18:00. Closed Monday.
📍 More information: http://www.rmk-museum.org.tr/istanbul/en/
Sabanci Museum
If the Rahmi M Koc Museum is famous for its exhibits on transportation, then the Sabanci Museum’s claim to fame is its extensive collection on art. 🙂
The final private museum on our list, Sabanci Museum has a rich collection that’s focused on the Ottoman era, including more than 400 pieces of calligraphic art, imperial documents, and paintings from famous Ottoman artists like Osman Hamdi Bey and Şeker Ahmed Paşa.
There’s also a special exhibit on European painters who worked in the Ottoman Empire, and international artifacts like Chinese porcelain and French vases.
📍 Entry: 300 TL for adults. Free entry on Tuesdays. 🙂
📍 Address: Sakıp Sabancı Cd. No:42 Emirgan, 34467 Sarıyer
📍 Working hours: Tuesday through Sunday 10 to 18:00. Closed Monday.
📍 More information: https://www.sakipsabancimuzesi.org/en/visit
Üsküdar Hanım Sultanlar Müzesi
If you can’t get enough of Turkish serials like Magnificent Century (Muhteşem Yüzyıl) or simply want to see beautiful costumes, this is the museum for you!
The Hanım Sultanlar Müzesi (Lady Sultans Museum) is located on the Asian side in Üsküdar, and is easily accessible via Marmaray rail or a ferry ride. You can check our How to Travel to Istanbul’s Asian Side blog post for directions, plus our full Üsküdar Travel Guide if you want to explore the neighborhood afterwards.
The museum has more than 30 dolls modeled after mothers, wives, and daughters of sultans, including the famous Roxelana (Hürrem Sultan), as well as the sultans themselves. The outfits are authentic to their time period and took more than two months to make thanks to a team of eight seamstresses, historians, and academics.
Travel Tip: Under each doll, there is a handle that you can pull and learn more about their life and achievements. There’s also a gift shop that sells the exact replica of some of the most famous dolls!
📍 Entry: Free
📍 Address: Sahil, Aziz Mahmut Hüdai Mahallesi Şemsipaşa Caddesi No:2 Nevmekan, 34660 Üsküdar
📍 Working hours: 10:00 to 19:00. Closed Mondays.
📍 More information: https://www.uskudarhanimsultanlarmuzesi.com/
Other Interesting Museums in Istanbul
📍 Fenerbahce Museum — The Fenerbahce Museum is a must-visit for fans of Istanbul’s legendary football team. The other two big clubs also have their own museums — click on their name to go to the respective museum’s page: Galatasaray and Besiktas.
📍 Pera Museum — We didn’t include it in our initial list because it’s already famous enough, but the Pera Museum really is a must-visit (it’s one of our favorite museums in Istanbul!).
The museum is so well curated and takes you through various themes in an interesting way, including Turkish coffee and tiles, famous Ottoman painter Osman Hamdi Bey (the Pera Museum is where his legendary painting, The Tortoise Trainer, is held), and modern art.
📍 Miniaturk — An adorable museum that features miniature models of Turkey’s biggest tourist landmarks like Topkapi and Dolmabahce Palaces, Hagia Sophia, the Maiden’s Tower, Sumela Monastery, Ephesus, Izmir’s Clock Tower, and Pamukkale. You can see a photo above. 🙂
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