If you are someone who likes to travel, if you are interested in museums and historical places, buying a museum card may be a very good decision for you. With the Müzekart, which is valid in all museums affiliated to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, you can visit many places at an affordable price and unlimitedly. For example; Important structures such as Topkapi Palace and Galata Tower, which are among the landmarks of Istanbul, are among the places that pass the museum card in Istanbul .
The Museumcard application was first introduced in 2008. Originally valid at 185 museums and 130 archaeological sites, the number of places where the museum card is valid has increased from year to year and can now be used in more than 350 museums and archaeological sites across the country. But in this article, we only focus on Istanbul.
Places to Visit in Istanbul with Müzekart
It is possible to visit many museums in Turkey with Müzekart, but since the subject of this article is Istanbul, we skip other cities. There are many places in Istanbul that you can visit with Müzekart. There are important museums such as Topkapi Palace and Istanbul Archeology Museum among the places where museum cards are passed in Istanbul.
The full list of places you can visit with a museum card in Istanbul is as follows;
- Topkapi palace
- Galata tower
- Beylerbeyi Palace
- Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum
- star Palace
- Rumeli Fortress
- Great Palace Mosaics Museum
- Fethiye Museum
- Galata Mevlevi Lodge
- Islamic Science and Technology Museum
- Istanbul Archeology Museum
Topkapi palace
Topkapı Palace, which was used as the administrative, educational and artistic center of the Ottoman Empire for approximately 400 years, is one of the most visited museums in our country today. Topkapı Palace Museum, one of the most magnificent buildings in Istanbul, is also the first museum of the Republic.
Address : Cankurtaran Mah. Babi Humayun Cad. No: 1 Sultanahmet/Fatih
Visiting Hours : It is open to visitors every day of the week, except Tuesdays, between 10:00 – 17:30.
Galata tower
Galata Tower, one of the first structures that comes to mind when Istanbul is mentioned, is also one of the oldest towers in the world. Galata Tower, built in 1348, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2013. If you are planning to visit Galata Tower on the weekend, it should be said that you may encounter very crowded and long queues.
Address : Bereketzade, Galata Tower, 34421 Beyoğlu/Istanbul
Visiting Hours : It is open to visitors every day of the week between 08:30 – 23:00.
Beylerbeyi Palace
Beylerbeyi Palace, built in 1863, is located in Üsküdar district, overlooking the deep blue waters of the Bosphorus. The building, which was built in the European baroque style during the reign of Sultan Abdulaziz, is shown as one of the most magnificent palaces in Istanbul.
Address : Beylerbeyi Mah. Abdullah Aga Cad. No:12, Beylerbeyi/Üsküdar
Visiting Hours : It is open to visitors between 09:00 – 17:30 every day of the week except Mondays.
Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum
The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, located in the district of Fatih, is the first Turkish museum to cover the works of Islamic art collectively. This museum, which has one of the best carpet collections in the world, exhibits manuscripts, glass objects and rare artifacts.
Address : Binbirdirek, Atmeydanı Cd. No:12, 34122 Fatih/Istanbul
Visiting Hours : The museum is open to visitors every day of the week between 09:00 – 17:30.
star Palace
Yıldız Palace, which fascinates its visitors with its impressive and elegant architecture, is located within the borders of Beşiktaş district of Istanbul. Yıldız Palace, which was also used as the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire for a period, also draws attention with its unique garden.
Address : Yıldız, Yıldız Palace Museum, 34349 Beşiktaş/İstanbul
Visiting Hours : It is open to visitors every day of the week, except Monday, between 10:00 – 17:00. (Yildiz Palace, which has been under restoration for a while, is closed to visitors as of November 2022)
Rumeli Fortress
Rumeli Fortress, one of the most popular historical buildings of Istanbul, was built by Fatih Sultan Mehmet to facilitate the conquest of Istanbul. It is located right across Anadolu Hisarı, at the point where the two shores of the Bosphorus converge. The cannons used in the conquest of Istanbul and a part of the chain that is said to close the Golden Horn are exhibited in the Rumeli Fortress, which now serves as a museum.
Address : Yahya Kemal Caddesi No: 42, Rumelihisarı Mahallesi, 34470 Sarıyer Istanbul
Visiting Hours : It is open to visitors between 09:00 – 18:30 every day of the week except Mondays.
Great Palace Mosaics Museum
The Great Palace Mosaics Museum, which is a very impressive museum, is also known as the Istanbul Mosaic Museum. Located in the Arasta Bazaar area in Sultanahmet Square, the museum hosts many well-preserved mosaics from Byzantine palaces.
Address : Kabasakal Cad. Torun Arasta Carsisi Sok. No:103, Sultanahmet Fatih Istanbul
Visiting Hours : It is open to visitors between 09:00 – 18:00 every day.
Fethiye Museum
Address : Fethiye Caddesi, Draman Cd., 34087 Fatih/Istanbul
Visiting Hours : As of November 2022, it is closed to visitors due to restoration.
Galata Mevlevi Lodge
Galata Mevlevihanesi, also known as Kulekapı Mevlevihanesi, has been serving as a museum since 1975. Galata Mevlevihanesi is located in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul. Galata Mevlevihanesi, which is the oldest Mevlevi Lodge in Istanbul, is shown as one of the best examples of the 18th century Baroque style with its octagonal structure.
Address : Şahkulu, Galip Dede Cd. No:15, 34420 Beyoglu/Istanbul
Visiting Hours : It is open to visitors between 09:00 and 20:00 every day of the week except Mondays.
Islamic Science and Technology Museum
The Islamic Science and Technology History Museum, which started to serve in 2008 and aims to explain the contributions of Islamic civilization to the world of science and technology, is located in Gülhane Park in the Historical Peninsula.
Address : Can Kurtaran Mah. Alemdar Cad. Has Stables Building Gulhanepark, Sirkeci / Istanbul
Visiting Hours : It is open to visitors every day of the week between 09:00 and 20:00.
Istanbul Archeology Museum
Istanbul Archeology Museum, Turkey’s first museum, is also among the largest museums in the world. It stands out among the museums of Istanbul in terms of the variety of works (more than one million works) it contains. The Istanbul Archeology Museum, which also has the distinction of being the first building in Turkey to be built as a museum, also hosts the Ancient Oriental Artifacts Museum and the Tiled Kiosk Museum, apart from the main building.
Address : Alemdar Caddesi, Osman Hamdi Bey Slope, Gulhane, Fatih / Istanbul
Visiting Hours : It is open to visitors every day of the week between 09:00 – 18:30.
Places in Istanbul Where Museum Card Is Not Passed
We mentioned that the museum card is valid in all museums belonging to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Some museums in Istanbul are operated by institutions such as the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the TBMM National Palaces, and unfortunately, museum cards are not valid in these places.
Accordingly, the places where the museum card is not valid are as follows;
- Dolmabahçe Palace (Parliament National Palaces)
- Miniaturk (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality)
- Şerefiye Cistern (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality)
- Panorama 1453 Museum (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality)
- Basilica Cistern (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality)
Exceptional Situations Regarding Müzekart
We have listed the places where the museum card is valid and not valid in Istanbul. However, there are some exceptions. Such that, in some places that are entered with a museum card, there may be additional sections and the museum card may not be accepted at the entrance. There are places where the opposite situation is also valid, and although it is not entered with a museum card, a museum card may be valid for entering some sections inside.
These exceptions are as follows:
- We mentioned that the museum card is not valid at the entrance to Dolmabahçe Palace. However, the museum card is valid at the entrance to the Harem section of Dolmabahçe Palace.
- We mentioned that the museum card is valid at the entrance to Topkapı Palace. However, some structures of Topkapı Palace, such as the Harem and Hagia Irene, cannot be entered with a museum card.
