Museums in Turkey

Following the proclamation of the Republic, Turkish museums developed considerably, mainly due to the importance Atatürk had attached to the research and exhibition of artifacts of Anatolia. When the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed, there were only the Archaeological Museum of İstanbul called the "Asar-ı Atika Müzesi", the Istanbul Military Museum housed in the St. Irene Church, the Islamic Museum (Evkaf-ı Islamiye Müzesi) in the Suleymaniye Complex in Istanbul and the smaller museums of the Ottoman Empire Museum (Müze-i Humayun) in a few large cities of Anatolia.

The Turkish Archaeological Museum (Türk Asar-ı Atikası), which was established during the first years of the Republic, carried out studies to gather, collate, catalogue and protect archaeological and ethnographical finds. In many provinces of Anatolia, monumental buildings such as ancient churches, mosques and caravanserais were restored and converted into museums. Topkapı Palace, which was converted into a museum with the furniture and works of art on the premises, was opened to the public in 1927. The same year, the Islamic Museum was reorganized as the "Museum of Turkish and Islamic Works of Art" and the Mevlana Dervish Lodge in Konya was also converted into a museum.

The construction of the Ankara Ethnographical Museum, the first building designed as a museum, was completed in 1930. New museums were established in Bursa, Adana, Manisa, İzmir, Kayseri, Antalya, Afyon, Bergama and Edirne. The Hittite Museum, which was established in the Mahmut Pasha Bedesten in Ankara in 1940, was restored and renovated and converted into "Museum of Anatolian Civilizations” in 1968.

Today, there are 99 museum directorates attached to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 92 private museums and 1,204 private collections.

List of museums

Adana

• Adana Archaeological Museum
• Atatürk Museum
• Misis Mosaic Museum

Ankara

• Museum of Anatolian Civilizations
• Anıtkabir
• Ankara Aviation Museum
• Ethnography Museum of Ankara
• Feza Gürsey Science Center
• Pembe Köşk
• Rahmi M.Koç Museum (Ankara)
• Roman Baths of Ankara
• State Art and Sculpture Museum
• TCDD Open Air Steam Locomotive Museum
• War of Independence Museum

Antalya

• Antalya Museum
• Atatürk's House Museum (Antalya)

Gaziantep

• Gaziantep Museum of Archaeology

Bayburt

• Baksı Museum

Istanbul

• Adam Mickiewicz Museum, Istanbul
• Anadoluhisarı
• Aşiyan Museum
• Atatürk Museum
• Istanbul Aviation Museum
• Aynalıkavak Palace
• Beylerbeyi Palace
• Chora Church
• Doğançay Museum
• Dolmabahçe Palace
• Fenerbahçe Museum
• Galatasaray Museum
• Great Palace Mosaic Museum
• Hagia Sophia
• Ihlamur Palace
• Istanbul Archaeology Museums
• Istanbul Contemporary Art Museum
• Istanbul Modern
• Istanbul Naval Museum
• İstanbul Toy Museum
• Istanbul UFO Museum
• Istanbul Zoology Museum
• Jewish Museum of Turkey
• Küçüksu Palace
• Maslak Palace
• Istanbul Military Museum
• Museum of Illumination and Heating Appliances
• Pammakaristos Church
• Pera Museum
• Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center
• Proje4L / Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art
• Rahmi M. Koç Museum
• Rumelihisarı
• Sadberk Hanım Museum
• Sakıp Sabancı Museum
• SantralIstanbul Energy Museum
• SantralIstanbul
• Topkapı Palace
• Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum
• Yıldız Palace

Izmir

• İzmir Archaeological Museum
• İnciraltı Sea Museum
• İzmir Art and Sculpture Museum

Konya

• Mevlana Museum

Manisa

• Archaeological Museum of Manisa

Mersin

• Mersin Museum
• Atatürk Museum

Tekirdağ

• Namık Kemal House Museum
• Rákóczi Museum

Trabzon

• Hagia Sophia, Trabzon
• Trabzon Museum

Uşak

• Uşak Museum of Archaeology