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

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#50 of 1,554 things to do in Istanbul
Art Museums • History Museums
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The Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum showcases Islamic calligraphy, tiles and rugs and recreates rooms or dwellings from Turkish cultures, particularly nomadic groups.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: 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.
Best nearby
Restaurants
4,720 within 3 miles
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Attractions
1,010 within 6 miles
Sultanahmet Square
3,467
85 ftPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings
Mehmet Akif Ersoy Parki
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121 ftParks
Sultanahmet District
16,677
394 ftNeighborhoods • Historic Walking Areas
Blue Mosque
34,917
412 ftReligious Sites
Hippodrome
816
232 ftPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Serpent Column
227
407 ftHistoric Sites
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0.2 miHistoric Sites • Ancient Ruins
Sultanahmet Mosque Information Center
61
247 ftVisitor Centers • Religious Sites
Sultan Ahmet Tomb
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319 ftReligious Sites
Great Palace Mosaics Museum
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0.1 miAncient Ruins • Art Museums
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
673 reviews
Excellent
347
Very good
219
Average
78
Poor
17
Terrible
12
Mamun K
London, UK154 contributions
Much more than just ART!
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.
Akbrad
Bury, UK164 contributions
Excellent value for money
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.
keefyisback
London, UK177 contributions
Outstanding Museum to understand rise of islamic Empires & Cuture
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.
shufflin maniac
Zagreb, Croatia38 contributions
A bit dissapointing, expected more art
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.
jcinpdx
Portland, OR51 contributions
A Wonderful Museum!
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.
busymum554
Warwickshire, United Kingdom34 contributions
Fantastic place to visit
Aug 2022
Absolutely amazing. A rare place that is very reasonably priced and yet there is so much to see. Not advertised as one of the must see places in Istanbul but I would definitely recommend. Situated just next to the Blue Mosque (near a few obelisks) this museum is full of Islamic artefacts - including many related to the Prophet Muhammed - an absolute must see for anyone. Worth queueing for.
I would definitely go again and would strongly recommend.
Written August 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Peter J
Chichester, UK426 contributions
Nice museum
Mar 2020
Visited it with the Istanbul Museum's pass - which is great value and forces you to investigate different museums. It is well set-up with god descriptions of the exhibits. There was a wonderful exhibition of carpets from Azerbaijan. In addition it has a very nice cafe to drink tea in.
Written March 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Frank D
Slidell, LA1,310 contributions
Excellent museum Not huge, but good
Jul 2022
This museum is said to house the world's richest Islamic art Collection. It certainly has a large and diverse collection. The current museum building has its basis in a historic building dating to Roman times - and some of this is noticeable as one enters. It is the first museum in Turkey to include Turkish - Islamic art works together. It opened its doors for the first time in 1914.

Included are fantastic Korans with pages of gold overlaid on papyrus and sacred relics such as hairs from the beard of The Prophet.
Written July 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Chasing_history_
61 contributions
Must see
Feb 2022 • Couples
The view of the hippodrome from here is stunning . The exhibits are incredible. The museum decor is one of the best I’ve seen especially if you are a practicing Muslim . There’s also a piece of the original hippodrome here . The museum was the palace of Ibrahim pasha , pargali ebrahim from Parga . He was the best friend of sultan Sulayman and his grand vizier. He was also married to the sultans sister Khadija
Written October 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Departure47553009125
1 contribution
A must see Islamic Museum
Aug 2022 • Couples
Beautiful!! This is my favorite place and I would come again. I love the different calligraphy from different periods and it is amazing that it’s all hand written with the writing tools that you can see example of there. I love the feeling of seeing the prophet’s hair and footstep. There are also pieces of the kaba clothes with its gold threads and beautiful artistic carpet. This place is highly recommended if you are interested in seeing Islamic and Turkish history.
Written August 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum (Turk ve Islam Eserleri Muzesi) (Istanbul) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum (Turk ve Islam Eserleri Muzesi)
We recommend booking Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum (Turk ve Islam Eserleri Muzesi) tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 17 Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum (Turk ve Islam Eserleri Muzesi) tours on Tripadvisor