Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum (Turk ve Islam Eserleri Muzesi)

Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum (Turk ve Islam Eserleri Muzesi)

Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum (Turk ve Islam Eserleri Muzesi)
4.5
9:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 10:30 PM
About
The Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum showcases Islamic calligraphy, tiles and rugs and recreates rooms or dwellings from Turkish cultures, particularly nomadic groups.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Sultanahmet
With so many unmissable attractions within a mere stroll of each other – and all set around the site of an ancient Byzantine hippodrome – Sultanahmet is an overwhelmingly popular tourist destination, and a prime location for visitors to be wowed on a truly epic scale. Beyond the wonders of the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and more, this relatively small area of Istanbul somehow manages to retain an air of peace and calm. It offers visitors a significantly less celebrated but nonetheless pleasant network of quaint lanes and side streets, majestic panoramas of the Bosphorus, and an impressive assortment of accommodation options for all budgets and tastes.
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See what travellers are saying
  • Taner
    Izmir, Türkiye774 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum
    Islamic Science Historian Prof. Dr. The Museum, opened by Fuat Sezgin in May 2008, is located in the Has Barns Building adjacent to the Palace Wall in Gülhane Park. The museum, which has an exhibition area of 3 thousand 500 square meters, is considered to be the second exemplary museum in the world after Frankfurt, with a total of 570 tools, models and models. The works compiled through years of intensive scientific and historical studies on Arab-Islamic Manuscripts have formed the basis of the works that make a unique journey possible for their visitors today. The Museum Offers the Opportunity to Comprehensively Follow the Evolution of the History of Science in Various Disciplines. Works belonging to the fields of Astronomy, Geography, Navigation, Time Measurement, Geometry, Optics, Medicine Chemistry, Mineralogy, Physics, Technology, Architecture and War Techniques are exhibited in a systematic order. The Museum of the History of Islamic Science and Technology sheds light on the present and the future by revealing the process of the Islamic world in the history of science in the past with works and documents, as well as the aesthetics and didactic aspects of scientific works.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written February 27, 2024
  • Susan C
    Melbourne, Australia1,535 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    More of an ethnographic museum
    Located in the 16th century Ibrahim Pasa Palace, which has some lovely architectural features, this museum is centrally located near the Blue Mosque and other tourist sites so it is easy to visit. The small garden in front is decorated with ceramic doves on the lawn. I was expecting an art gallery, however, I found this was more of an ethnographic museum so I was initially disappointed. I did, in the end, learn about historic Islamic art periods and I always love looking at carpets and old artifacts but I still regret I didn't get as much of an art experience as I had hoped. The ground floor contains recreations of rooms and dwellings and displays on Turkish life such as the hammam, coffee drinking and shadow plays and upstairs there is a series of rooms showing artifacts from each of the various Islamic periods from the Four Caliphs and Umayyad period around 664 to the Qajar period of 1779–1924. The artifacts include mosque doors, windows, sarcophagi, jewellery, hairbrushes, pottery, bronze artifacts, tiles, calligraphy, drawings of Ottoman architecture, stonework and wooden works. Special rooms contain sacred relics of Islam which requires respectful behaviour and no photos, another contains the Damascus documents and another one displays many carpets from the Seljuk to Ottoman periods. Additional carpets are displayed along the hallways. The displays are nicely presented in an uncluttered manner. It wasn't crowded. There are some nice views from up top. We almost missed an additional exhibition on the ground floor to the left after security but before the museum entry and had to re-enter the museum to see it (which we were able to do). That exhibition had some average modern art and embroidered clothing but no explanations in English.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written May 1, 2024
  • Sydsolo
    Sydney, Australia922 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Informative
    For what was a very informative and interesting collection, I was surprised at how uncrowded this museum was. The collection is well laid out chronologically and is very educational for someone like me who does not possess much knowledge of Turkish and Islamic history. If you are interested in knowing more about Islamic or Turkish history then you should not miss this museum.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written May 27, 2024
  • イルンゴルヌルカ
    Beijing, China15 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A hidden gem
    Despite being located in a geographical location that could be called the center of tourism in Turkey along with the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, it is quiet due to the high admission fee and low recognition. The architecture is so-so, but the collection is good. It would be more accurate to call it an Ottoman Islamic museum rather than a Turkish-Islamic one. Almost all of the exhibits from the time when the area that is now Turkey was under the control of the Roman Empire are from the area around present-day Iran! I was surprised. The exhibits of the Quran, carpets, etc. were wonderful and I was satisfied.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written June 7, 2024
  • utro-vecher
    Moscow, Russia2,542 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    50/50
    A relatively new museum. It's convenient to buy a museum card at the box office. But rather, I do not recommend this card, it costs 107 euros, and entry is not everywhere and when there is no queue and when not (Galata Tower). The museum itself can be visited, but you need to know Islamic traditions to deal without a guide
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written August 11, 2024
  • Bokkop
    Ribamar, Portugal135 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fascinating museum
    A wonderful museum, that wasn't busy at all -- perhaps because we went at 6pm (not deliberately but because we had had a full day. That day it was open until 9!). The comparison with the V&A is irresistable. The collection covers a variety of cultural artifacts -- carpets, clothing, room interiors, pottery, jewellery etc. My favourite exhibit was the shadow puppets, which includes a film of a performance including the background to the art. The building is also fascinating. If your guidebook says that all government-run museums in the country close on Mondays, well this one doesn't. It is poorly signposted but is right next to the Hagio Sophia History & Experience Museum (not the church!)
    Visited October 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written October 2, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles697 reviews
Excellent
360
Very good
228
Average
79
Poor
18
Terrible
12

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
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Bhageera Zuleik... S
16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Friends
Fascinating experience for both myself and my mum. More than just archeology you delve into the rich history and art of Turkey, the experience engulfing you as you walk through the museum.
Highly worth the trip and not that busy.

One advice- bring a form of ID. Initially we wanted the audio guide but as we didn’t have any on us we could only get the ticket , however I feel that with all the information provided the guide is not necessary, plus 200 lira per ticket well worth the price. We ended up staying just shy of three hours!
Written July 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Igor Alexeev
Moscow, Russia133,894 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Couples
The museum is located in the palace of Ibrahim Pasha, built in the 16th century. The museum is certainly interesting (as, in fact, the building itself). The museum's exhibitions include magnificent collections of calligraphy, ceramics, sculptures, miniatures, carpets, ethnographic materials... Ticket price (Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts) - 390 ₺ (12.5 €, 1235 ₽). PS. And again, one photo is attached to the review, the rest will be added later, when the site starts working normally again. It's extremely tiring to send photos into the void and watch them disappear...
Google
Written December 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mamun K
London, UK141 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
When I read it's an 'art' museum I thought it would just have art in it, but that's not the case.

Wife and I were pleasantly surprised at how interesting this place was, by 'art' they mean clothes and all the expensive style jewelries/rugs etc the Ottoman Empire used to own. We were very pleased to have visited this museum. I would highly recommend it, you could also see the swords and weapons the Ottoman empire used to use in battles.

I think it was 70 lira pp which is very reasonable as the lira is weak atm, and you would need about 2 hours or so to see everything at a slow pace.
Written October 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Akbrad
Bury, UK169 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022 • Couples
Quite a wide range of items, spanning a long history, entrance fee a bargain. Items had a good explanation of what they where. Liked the scenes downstairs and the puppet explanation. Cafe was a bit expensive and had no lunch food but coffee was good
Written November 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GabrielaSeevetal
Seevetal, Germany10,413 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023
Ibrahim Pasa, the later brother-in-law of Sultan Süleyman, had the largest private residence of the Ottoman Empire built in 1524 with more than 600 rooms. He quickly fell out of favor and the residence stood empty. Today it is a museum for art and culture of the Orient.

The development of the art of faience was not shown. Korans from different eras are shown from the inside, Persian miniatures, kilims, vessels and caskets as well as the home decor.
Google
Written August 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

keefyisback
London, UK185 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
It was almost as an aside while walking round the Hippodrome, I 'popped in' and was blown away. First you are hit by the walls and caverns of old hipposdrome buildings, then a journey through the rise of islamic military prowess and into Empires resulting in Ottomans. Then downstairs agin there is a charming Ethnological section plus the collection of sacred art includig holy Islamic relics and texts. All in a new and modern museum. Everywhere else was packed and this was almost empty as I do not think anyone much knows about it. so perfect for a couple of hours. Only thing, do not use the cafe. A small bottle of water was 14 Lira - compared to nebtween 3.5 and 5 anywhere else!
Written November 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anne
Melbourne, Australia43 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Solo
I’ve rated this low as I had high expectations. I’d been to the archeological museum the day before and it was so impressive that this gallery appeared a bit ho hum.

The major issue was the signage moving around the gallery. I’m not sure I saw all the gallery had to offer. I asked but encountered very grumpy people who were not helpful.

Very disappointing.

There is a large collection of rugs from 13th century which was interesting as the designs have not changed that much.

There are so many other museums etc that this would very low on my priority list.
Written November 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

shufflin maniac
Zagreb, Croatia44 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
The museum is big and it takes you roughly 1.5 hours to see it all. We were disappointed that there weren't more artworks. Most of the showcased art was calligraphy, clay pots and carpets. There was a temporary exhibit about life in Turkey in the past which was nice to see.
In the ground floor it is possible to see the remains of Hippodrome.
Written September 6, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mohamed Sami
Alexandria, Egypt1,983 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Family
This new museum was inaugurated just 15 years ago and is located inside the Gulhane park in the building that used to be a stable. The museum is very interesting and is reflecting the grandeur of the Islamic golden ages where the science played a major role. The models are very informative and you will be amazed with these inventions that preceded the European renaissance by hundreds of years especially in the fields of weapons, navigation and astronomy. This placed is highly recommended for both adults and toddlers.
Written September 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jcinpdx
Portland, OR48 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
A wonderful museum! The displays are not cluttered but are presented cleanly in a way that allows appreciation of each item. The carpet collection, said to be the finest in the world, is indeed spectacular, and the calligraphy is self-evidently beautiful. The historical information is clear and concise and, for at least this history-shy tourist, eye-opening about previously unknown important events. As Trip Advisor indicates, the museum can be seen in its entirety within an hour or so.

If you go, don’t miss the Relics collection, which contains relics of the Prophet. Among them is a footprint of the Prophet, the most ordinary of things but it receives an equal share of reverence.
Written May 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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TURKISH AND ISLAMIC ARTS MUSEUM (TURK VE ISLAM ESERLERI MUZESI) (2025) - All You MUST Know Before You Go

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