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Istanbul, with its unique architectural structures, rich cultural texture, and thousands of years of history, is an important tourist attraction. Istanbul was the capital city during the Roman, Eastern Roman, and Ottoman periods. The history of Istanbul is not only written in the history books and archives but also it can be seen in the streets, buildings, gardens, cemeteries, parks, and even in the names of neighbourhoods.
The best way to discover the thriving art scene is to explore some of the art museums in Istanbul. There are over 50 art museums in Istanbul that showcase incredible art galleries and collections. The speciality of these museums is that they belong to different subjects like modern arts, classic work, or even digital and new media art; there is room for every subject. There are best holiday packages from UAE to visit these museums. Let's take a look at some of the best art museums in Istanbul and book your next turkey tour with houseoftours.com.
1. Istanbul Museum of Modern Art
The Istanbul Museum of Modern Art is a museum that showcases modern and contemporary art pieces. It also shows important works of photography, design, new media, and architecture. The city’s first contemporary art museum is one of the most visited places on Turkey Tour Packages. The museum is very popular, and it has already welcomed over 8.5 million visitors.
Istanbul Modern’s new building was designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano on its original site in Karakoy. Inside the modern art museum, there are various exhibition halls, a cinema, a design shop, event spaces, a library, and a café and restaurant.
The TIME magazine has listed Istanbul Modern as one of the world’s greatest places in 2022! So undoubtedly, it is one of the best art museums in Istanbul.
Opening Hours: 10 a.m to 6 p.m from Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m to 5 p.m on Sunday Entrance Fee: 72 TL
2. Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
This is a museum that has the richest collection of Islamic art worldwide. Here, you can view Islamic calligraphy, rugs, tiles, and other Turkish artworks. The museum has been nicknamed “the carpet museum” as it has a display of a whopping 1,700 Ottoman carpets.
The Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum, housed within the Imaret building of Suleymaniye Mosque Complex, is one of the longest surviving palaces and dates back to the late 15th century.
Opening Hours: 9 a.m to 6:30 p.m Every day
Entrance Fee: 100 TL
3. Pera Museum
The Pera Museum is a private museum in a stately 19th-century building. It was once a historic hotel in Bristol that was constructed in 1893. Pera Museum has a strong focus on Orientalism in 19th-century art. The Orientalist Painting Collection, which contains artworks by Turkish and European artists includes the famous painting "The Tortoise Trainer" by Osman Hamdi Bey.
There will be temporary exhibitions on the top three floors. The Pera Museum Goya exhibition in 2012 and the Pera Museum Andy Warhol exhibition in 2014 are some of the most famous Pera Museum exhibitions to date.
Opening Hours: 10 a.m to 7 p.m, from Tuesday to Saturday, 12 p.m to 6 p.m on Sunday Price: 80 TL
4. Great Palace Mosaics Museum
This museum was originally a part of the Great Palace complex in Byzantine Constantinople. Visitors can see a wide range of mosaics, including a child feeding a donkey and a floor mosaic of a woman carrying a pot. You will be shocked when you realize that this display is less than a tenth of what once decorated the palace!
Opening Hours: from 9 a.m to 6 p.m everyday
Entrance Fee: 60 TL
5. Istanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture
This first plastic arts museum in Turkey tells the fascinating story of the adoption of Western painting styles during the Ottoman period. The oldest museum in the Turkish Republic, the Istanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture was opened in 1937. This museum is situated in a beautiful building in Beyoglu that was originally situated inside the Dolmabahce Palace.
Opening Hours: 10 a.m to 8 p.m Tuesday and 10 a.m to 5 p.m from Wednesday to Sunday Entrance Fee: 60 TL
6. IMOGA Graphic Arts Museum
The Istanbul Museum of Graphic Arts, commonly known as IMOGA, is the first printing press museum in the country. Here are works by some of the best graphic artists in the world to display. This museum aims to educate visitors on the art of printmaking and teach how artists can use the techniques to express their artistic vision in different ways.
Located in Uskudar, this museum is spread across six floors with a combined space of 2000 square meters. The Suleyman Saim Tekcan Original Printing Workshop is an exhibition area that still operates today; there is also a sculpture workshop founded by sculptor Ali Teoman Germaner.
Opening Hours: from 10 a.m to 5 p.m on Monday to Saturday Entrance Fee: Free
7. X Media Art Museum
The X Media Art Museum in Atasehir is an interactive museum that makes the audience part of the art through its inclusive art productions by combining science, art, and technology.
This is a go-to place for those who love modern art forms. Visitors can deeply understand modern art forms such as new media, kinetic arts, Biodesign, bio art, performing arts, algorithmic arts, and different streams of digital arts, namely VR, AR, and XR.
Opening Hours: 11 a.m to 8 p.m Monday to Thursday and Sunday, 11 a.m to 9 p.m Friday and Saturday Entrance Fee: 110 TL
8. Arter
Located in the Dolapdere district of Istanbul, Arter is a contemporary art museum that opened in 2010. Since its opening, it has been one of the best exhibitions of contemporary art in Istanbul. Spread out across 8,000 square metres and over six floors, it features exhibition galleries, performance areas, learning centres, a bookstore, a bistro, and a library.
There are over 1,400 works by 400 artists presented here, including a wide range of media, from paintings, photographs, and film to sculptures, some of them dating back to the 1960s.
Opening Hours: 11 a.m to 7 p.m Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday to Sunday, 11 a.m to 8 p.m on Thursday Entrance Fee: 60 TL (free on Thursdays)
