Topkapı Palace Museum was used as the administrative, educational and artistic center of the Ottoman Empire for 400 years from the rule of Sultan Mehmed II, aka Mehmed the Conqueror, to Sultan Abdülmecid.
Although centuries have passed, the Court of the Queen Mother, the Hall with Fireplace, and the Hall with a Fountain remain the most attractive sections of Topkapı Palace's Imperial Harem (Harem-i Hümayun), where the sultans lived with their families in private.
Istanbul Archaeological Museum
Istanbul Archaeological Museum hosts many historical works, including the Alexander sarcophagus and the Kadesh Treaty, which is known to be the first international peace treaty recorded in history.
The venue includes three separate museums: the Archeology Museum, the Old Oriental Works Museum and the Tiled Kiosk Museum.
Ural Ataman Classic Car Museum
The Ural Ataman Classic Car Museum features a 2,000-square-meter exhibition area with more than 60 vehicles, including motorcycles and trucks dating back mostly to the 1950s and 1960s.
Opened in 2012, the museum has a lively atmosphere full of nostalgia. Aside from classic cars, visitors can see hundreds of various industrial and automotive paraphernalia, such as fuel pumps, jukeboxes and wheel covers.
Istanbul Toy Museum
Founded by Turkish poet Sunay Akın in 2005, this museum is home to the most exquisite examples of toy history, spanning from the 1700s to today.
The museum includes toys that Akın bought from auctions and antique shops in 40 countries over 20 years, which explains why every visitor can easily find their own toy story in the museum. In 2012, the EU's Toy and Children's Museums marked the Toy Museum as a pioneer in its field.
Naval Museum
Featuring almost 20,000 works of art, the Naval Museum is situated in Istanbul's Beşiktaş district and is waiting to be explored by researchers and visitors.
Panorama 1453 Historical Museum
The Panorama 1453 Historical Museum in Istanbul is said to house the world's largest panoramic painting, bringing visitors an ambiance where they can relive the events told or written about the conquest of Constantinople in 3D.
Sakıp Sabancı Museum
The Sakıp Sabancı Museum is a fine arts museum featuring early Turkish paintings and works of artists that were in Istanbul. The museum hosts a wide variety of other exhibitions as well, such as Ai Weiwei’s first exhibition in Istanbul as seen in this photo from Sept. 12, 2018.
Pelit Chocolate Museum
Spreading across an area of 25,000 square meters, a former factory was transformed into "Pelit Chocolate Museum" featuring the busts and sculptures of Rumi, Van Gogh, Albert Einstein, Atatürk and Mehmed the Conqueror.
Visitors are informed about the production process of chocolate, cocoa seeds, and how to make decorations using different materials.
Pera Museum
The Pera Museum is a private museum in the Beyoğlu district.
Founded by the Suna and the Inan Kıraç Foundation, it hosts a wide variety of exhibitions and events throughout the year.
Istanbul Modern
Istanbul Modern is Turkey’s first museum of modern and contemporary art and was founded in 2004.
The museum is one of the most important hubs for contemporary galleries in the city and features a variety of exhibitions of the year.
Rahmi Koç Museum
The 23,000-square-meter area of the museum, including indoor and outdoor areas, offers a nostalgic train tour, submarine ride, carousel and fairground, as well as a host of aircraft and classic cars to examine.
Visitors of all ages can embark on a fascinating journey, discovering the history of industry, transportation and communication from past to present thanks to the museum's rich collection.
