Istanbul Cinema Museum hosts world's largest 'Star Wars' exhibition
A model of the Millenium Falcon spaceship, Istanbul, Türkiye, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Istanbul Cinema Museum)


Istanbul Cinema Museum has unveiled the most extensive "Star Wars" collection in the world with the opening of the "Fans of the Galaxy" exhibition.

The most comprehensive exhibition ever created about "Star Wars," one of the most-watched film series in cinema history, welcomes visitors at the heart of Istanbul and is a part of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's cultural reglament series – Beyoğlu Culture Road Festival.

The figures of See-Threepio, a humanoid robot, and R2-D2 at the "Fans of the Galaxy" exhibition, Istanbul, Türkiye, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Istanbul Cinema Museum)
A weapon of the "Star Wars" franchise at the "Fans of the Galaxy" exhibition, Istanbul, Türkiye, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Istanbul Cinema Museum)

Located within the temporary exhibition hall of the Istanbul Cinema Museum, this remarkable showcase boasts over 50 awe-inspiring sculptures, 120 intricately detailed figures, 30 life-sized suits of armor and costumes, a breath-taking space battle featuring iconic spacecraft from the films, 25 impeccably modeled and hand-painted life-sized busts, colossal creature figurines, a treasure trove of helmets, actor-signed movie masks, posters and countless other masterpieces, each deserving of its title as a work of art. Europe's most exquisite "Star Wars" collection, rooted in the passion of its fans, will also proudly display select items from Türkiye.

Ceyhun Tuzcu, general manager of the Istanbul Cinema Museum and Atlas 1948 Enterprise, told Anadolu Agency (AA) before the opening that the exhibition is a very special one created by "Star Wars" fans.

A view from the "Fans of the Galaxy" exhibition, Istanbul, Türkiye, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Istanbul Cinema Museum)

Tuzcu said they made a special effort to bring the collection to Istanbul, and added, "In the exhibition, we particularly focused on three main themes. The first is miniatures of the "Star Wars" universe, the second is areas designed to look like movie sets, and the last one is collector-made "Star Wars" accessories such as helmets, lightsabers and signed masks."

The sculpture of Master Yoda, a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with the 'force' and is a leading member of the Jedi Order, Istanbul, Türkiye, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Istanbul Cinema Museum)

The fans tried to create the "Star Wars" world by bringing together collections from 17 different countries, he said, adding that "we also made an effort to adapt Turkish movie-makers here. It is worth mentioning that the works of Turkish movie-makers in the exhibition are of a quality that would make their counterparts around the world jealous."