Museums affiliated with the National Palaces Administration that were temporarily closed to visitors since March 18 as part of measures taken to stop the spread of COVID-19 will reopen their doors as of June 1 and 2.
According to a written statement from the Presidential National Palaces Administration, museums which have been temporarily closed due to coronavirus measures, are undergoing a process of normalization.
Historical pavilions, and Topkapı Palace, Dolmabahçe Palace and Beylerbeyi Palace in particular, which remained closed for 75 days during the pandemic, will begin to receive visitors. The first visits took place on June 1 in Topkapı Palace. Dolmabahçe Palace and Beylerbeyi Palace will receive its first visitors since the onset of the pandemic on June 2.
While some measures that make museum visits safe within the framework of international museum criteria have been taken, "social distancing control labels" have been placed in museums. With these labels, starting from the ticket office to the end of the garden areas, social distancing has been rendered compulsory.
Within the scope of the measures, the body temperature of visitors will be taken at the security points at the museum entrances. If the visitor does not have a mask, he will be provided with a mask by the National Palaces staff. The visitors with normal temperatures will be allowed to pass to the ticket office after an X-ray inspection. Audio guide devices will be given to visitors in a disposable ziplock bag.
In addition, the use of masks, gloves, face shields and disinfectants is compulsory for the National Palaces personnel who have direct contact with the visitors. Special coronavirus-related waste areas have also been installed in the open spaces of the museums. Visitors can dispose of their used masks, gloves and related items only in boxes at these points.
Warnings about the measures taken during the normalization process have also been added to the LED screens at the entrances of the museums. Thus, visitors are informed before starting the tour.
The plan to disinfect the palaces and pavilions during the normalization process has also been rearranged. In this context, indoor and outdoor spaces will be disinfected on a daily basis.
