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Istanbul Military Museum

Istanbul Military Museum (Valikonagi Caddesi, Harbiye, Istanbul) – this is one of the world’s leading museums of its kind in terms of the richness and variety of its collections. Its foundations were laid as early as in the 15th century. After the conquest of Istanbul by the Turks in 1453, the Byzantine Hagia Irene Church was used as “Cebehane”, an armory sheltering precious warfare weapons, tools, and materials. During the reign of Sultan Ahmet III (1703-1730), the armory collection was reorganized and put on display in 1726 under the name of “Dar-ül Esliha” (Weapons Quarter).

In 1846, Marshal of the Imperial Arsenal, Ahmed Fethi Paşa, converted the venue into a military antiques museum, thereby creating the first Turkish museum in the modern sense, the “Military Museum” which was shortly after renamed “Müze-i Hümayun” (Imperial Museum).

The Military Museum owns a very rich collection consisting of circa 45,000 pieces — including precious objects from the Ottoman era through World War II. However, due to space constraints, the number of pieces on display out of this collection is limited approximately to five thousand. The items classified under diverse groups according to period or category of objects include rifles, pistols, cannons and swords, armor, shields and helmets with refined decorations and inscriptions, copper head armor for horses and great field tents used by sultans on their campaigns.

Admission: 10 TL per person. Hours: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm (closed on Monday).

Istanbul Archaeology Museums

Istanbul Archaeology Museums (Alemdar Cad. Osman Hamdi Bey Yokuşu Sk, Sultanahmet / Fatih, İstanbul) — The İstanbul Archaeological Museums, which are affiliated to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, are located in İstanbul’s Sultanahmet neighborhood, on the Osman Hamdi Bey slope connecting the Gülhane Park with the Topkapı Palace. Its name is plural, since there are three different museums under the same administration: The Archaeological Museum, the Ancient Orient Museum (Eski Şark Eserleri Müzesi) and Tiled Kiosk Museum (Çinili Köşk Müzesi).

During an İstanbul Archaeological Museums tour, it is possible to visit the extraordinarily beautiful garden of the museum and the three different buildings inside this garden.

The İstanbul Archaeological Museums, which is housing various artifacts from civilizations that had left their traces to different periods of the history, is one of the 10 most important world-class museums designed and used as a museum building. Additionally, it is the first institution in Turkey arranged as a museum. Besides its spectacular collections, the architectural aspects of its buildings and its garden are of historical and natural importance.

Admission: 30 TL (free entry for seniors, veteransas and students under 18 years) Hours: 9:00 am – 6:45 pm daily (April – October 30); 9:00 am – 4:45 pm (October 31 – March 31).

Hagia Sophia Museum

Hagia Sophia Museum (Sultanahmet Mh., Ayasofya Meydanı, Fatih/İstanbul) — Hagia Sophia is the one of the most visited museums and most prominent monuments in the world, in terms of art and the history of architecture. It has also been called “the eighth wonder of the world” by East Roman Philon as far back as the 6th century. The current Hagia Sophia is the third construction, done in a different architectural style, even though it occupies the same location as the previous two. The original building was constructed by the most important architects of the period (527-565), Anthemios (Tralles) and Isidoros (Miletus), under the order of Emperor Justinianos.

It was used as a church for 916 years but, following the conquest of Istanbul by Fatih Sultan Mehmed, the Hagia Sophia was converted into mosque. Afterwards, it was used as a mosque for 482 years. Under the order of Atatürk and the decision of the Council of Ministers, Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum in 1935.

Admission: 72 TL. Free entry for Turkish seniors, the military, the disabled, foreign children 12 years and under (18 years and under for Turkish children). Hours: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (winter), 9:00 am – 7:00 pm (summer).

Great Palace Mosaic Museum

Great Palace Mosaic Museum (Arasta Çarşısı, Sultanahmet Mahallesi Fatih İstanbul) — The Museum of Great Palace Mosaics is located in Arasta Bazaar within the Sultanahmet Mosque compound. The museum constituted in such a way that containing the mosaic pavement partially intact in the northeast section of the arcaded yard of the Great Palace of East-Roman period is an organizational unit of Hagia Sophia Museum.

Mosaics exhibited in the Museum of Great Palace Mosaics (which have been dated to AD 450-550) are magnificent in terms of both art and wealth of portrayal scenes. Only a part of the 180 m2 mosaic area (which had been prepared by numerous master artists led by the prominent masters of the day) is revealed. The average dimension of mosaic stones is 5 mm and they consist of limestone, earthenware and colored stones. There are no religious themes in mosaics. Instead, daily life, nature and mythology are examined. Some of these scenes are lizard eating gryphon, elephant and lion fight, lactation of mare, goose herding children, goat milking man, a child feeding his donkey, a young girl carrying a pot, apple eating bears, and fight of hunter and tiger.

Admission: 20 TL per person. Hours: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm (April-October), 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (November – March). Open daily except Mondays.

Galata Tower

Galata Tower (Buyuk Hendek Cad., Istanbul) — The Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi) is the most recognizable landmark of the Golden Horn. The cylindrical tower with its conical cap rises high above all other buildings on the east bank of the Golden Horn and provides a magnificent 360 degree view of Istanbul.

The original tower was built in 1348 and called the Tower of Christ (Christea Turris). As the highest part of the fortifications surrounding the Genoese citadel of Galata, the tower served as a watchtower – directly facing ancient Constantinopolis. After the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul in 1453, the tower became a prison and naval depot. During the 19th century it was a fire lookout post in order to quickly detect frequent fire outbreaks in the city’s mainly wooden houses. In the 1967, after three years of restoration, the Galata Tower reopened its doors. The present tower has been restored to the appearance it had under the reign of Mehmet II during the Ottoman Empire.

Admission: 25 TL per person. Hours: 9:00 am – 8: 00 pm (daily).

Dolmabahce Palace

Dolmabahce Palace (Vişnezade Mh., Beşiktaş/İstanbul) – this palace, built in 19th century, is one of the most glamorous palaces in the world. It was the administrative center of the late Ottoman Empire with the last of Ottoman Sultans was residing there. After the foundation of the Turkish Republic in Ankara, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk transferred all government functions to the youthful capital but on his visits to Istanbul Ataturk occupied only a small room at Dolmabahce Palace as his own. He stayed, welcomed his foreign guests and made a practical center for national, historical and language congress and for international conferences.

Admission: 60 TL (official part/Selamlik), 40 TL (privy chambers/harem); 20TL (for students visiting either the Selamlik or harem). Hours: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Ciragan Palace

Ciragan Palace (Ciragan Caddesi 32, Istanbul) – this palace was built by Sultan Abdulaziz between 1863 and 1872   Abdulaziz resided there until his death in 1876.  The word “Ciagan” is Persian for :”light spreading”.  His successor (Sultan Murad V – his nephew) moved in and stayed for just 93 days (when he was dethroned by his brother Abdulhamid II – and resided there until 1904).

In 1909, during the Ottoman Empire’s second constitutional monarchy, Sultan Mehmet V Resat let the Parliament hold their meetings at this Palace.  On January 1910, the Palace was destroyed by a fire. With only the outer walls remaining, it was used as a football stadium by the prominent Istanbul football team Besiktas JK for many years.  In 1989, that dilapidated site was purchased by a Japanese corporation, which restored the palace and turned into a luxury hotel.   The current tenants are the Kempinski Hotels. Note: only hotel guests are allowed full access to the hotel grounds. Still, visitors can take photos of the building from outside and the lobby areas.

Chora Church

Chora Church (Ayvansaray Mh., Kariye Cami Sk. No:26, Fatih/İstanbul) — the Turkish word Kariye is derived from the ancient Greek word Chora meaning outside of the city (land).  It is known that there was a chapel outside of the city before the 5th century when the city walls were erected.  The first Chora Church was rebuilt by Justinianus (527-565) in place of this chapel.  In the era of Komnenoi, it served as the court chapel for important religious ceremonies, thanks to its nearness to the Palace of Blachernae.

The church was destroyed during the Latin invasion (1204-1261) and repaired in the reign of Andronikos II (1282-1328) by the Treasury Minister of the palace, Theodore Metochites (1313). It was expanded towards north, an exonarthex was added to its western side and a chapel (Parecclesion) to its southern side, and it was decorated with mosaics and frescoes. Admission:  30 TL per person.  Hours:  9:00 am – 5:00 pm daily (except Wednesday).