Guide to Istanbul Museums & Exhibitions
from Istanbul Holiday Apartments

Topkapı Palace Museum
Sultanahmet

Sacred Trusts
A beautiful and moving exhibit of a variety of religious relics and objects
in a stunning suite of tiled domed rooms with live religious music.

Surre-i-Humayun
A collection of artifacts that were sent to the holy land every year as gifts
by Ottoman sultans is on display until May 25.

The newly reorganized and reinstalled Treasury section has excellent explanations and labels
for a collection of breathtaking objects & jewels.
The Harem exhibits, alas, have not been improved yet but at least
you don't have to be herded through with a guided group any more.
In the lower gardens, Konyali Restaurant serves good traditional Turkish food.
Not a bargain though.

Istanbul Modern Museum
Tophane/Salıpazarı along the Bosphorus (within walking distance)
Privately owned museum devoted to modern Turkish painting and photography.
NEW!
From Ottoman Empire to Turkish Republic
The chronological development of painting
from the nineteenth century until the end of the 1940s
in the light of changing social and political contexts. Worth seeing.

23 April- 29 June
Design Cities
Organized by the Design Museum London, this spectacular exhibit
looks at the history of design from the mid-19th century through to the present,
exploring the way in which design has shaped contemporary culture.

February 12-April 27
Quiet Resistance: Pictorialism in Russian Photography
130 works dating from 1898-1940s
from the Moscow House of Photography Museum

The Modern has an excellent albeit rather expensive café/restaurant with terrace
and super view that can be accessed from its own staircase. Recommended.
Open 10 am -12 midnight Monday-Saturdays & 10 am- 6 pm Sundays.

Sakıp Sabancı Museum
Atlı Köşk – Emirgan
Out along the Bosphorus, the former mansion of one of Turkey’s richest industrialists
has been transformed into a fine art museum with a good permanent collection
of Turkish paintings and calligraphy and an active special exhibition program.

February 18 to June 1
Three Empires of Islam:
Masterpieces of Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal Art from the Louvre Museum

Ceramics and metal work, tapestries and manuscripts
from the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires.

Outstanding cafe (Changemuze) in the museum with beautiful view
of the Bosphorus through the trees. Set in a charming park.
Open 10-6 Tuesdays, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, 10-10 on Wednesdays, 10-7 on Saturdays.
Closed Mondays.
Can be reached by ferryboat to Emirgan or by bus from Besiktas.

Pera Museum
Meşrutiyet Caddesi No 141, Tepebaşı (within walking distance)
A new, privately owned museum with an impressive 19th  century facade housing a large
collection of Turkish and Orientalist paintings and special exhibits. Tearoom.

Visiting hours: everyday (except Sunday) 10:00 - 19:00

Yapı Kredi Cultural Center
Istiklal Caddesi at Galatasaray (within walking distance)
Open 10-7 weekdays, 10-6 Saturdays and 1-6 Sundays.

Rahmi Koç Museum
Sütlüce on the Golden Horn
Eclectic, well-displayed collections related to industry and technology with many
hands-on activities for children.

April 12- June 29
The Brain Exhibition
A unique opportunity to explore the fascinating universe of the brain,
its functions, components and potential. An interactive exhibition curated by the famous
Experimentarium in Denmark, designed to arouse curiosity and facilitate learning through a
hands-on experience of science and the use of all the senses. With over 40 components in three
major sections, ‘The Brain’ is a tour around the human brain - the most important component of
our body - and the wondrous way it creates and coordinates movement, feeling and thought.  

The Museum has a wonderful setting on the Golden Horn and two good
although rather pricey restaurants: the cozy Café du Levent for a Parisian feel and
Halat for a superb terrace on the Golden Horn.  
10-5 Tuesdays-Friday; 10-7 Weekends. Closed Mondays.
Can be reached by taxi or Sishane-Alibeykoy minibus.

Santralistanbul
The Golden Horn
The first Ottoman power plant complex has been refurbished as an art & cultural center.

Kids will have a blast at the Energy Museum,
walking around the giant turbines and playing with the cool-looking retro gauges.
Cafe/Restaurant. Extensive gardens.
Open 10-10 Tuesday through Sunday.
Shuttles leave every 20 minutes from Ataturk Cultural Center at Taksim.
Located beyond the Rahmi Koc Museum & Miniaturk so don't go through Eyup

Rezan Has Museum
Kadir Has University  , Cibali

The Rezan Has Museum is a museum complex unique for having a Byzantine Cistern built in the
11th century and Ottoman bath remnants dating back to the 16th century.
The historic cistern was built to supply water to this region in the 11th century. It is a beautiful
example of Byzantine architecture and has 24 domes and 48 columns. After the Ottomans
conquered Istanbul the cistern was used as a bath complex.  

Sadberk Hanim Museum
Piyasa Cad. No: 27- 29 Büyükdere
Valuable  archaeological and ethnographic collections related to Turkey.
10-5. Closed Wednesdays.
Try going by ferryboat from Eminönü to Sariyer.