İstanbul Deniz Müzesi

The Naval Museum was established on 31 August 1897 by Major Süleyman Nutki, under the orders of Minister of the Navy Bozcaadalı Hasan Hüsnü Paşa and with the support of Shipyard Commander Admiral Arif Hikmet Paşa, in the building belonging to the Mine Detachment Command within Tersane-i Amire, under the name "Museum and Library Administration" as one of the rare examples in the world. At first, it was opened to exhibition as a museum depot without being classified. Cemal Paşa, who became Minister of the Navy in 1914, carried out reforms in the museum as in all branches of naval affairs and, by appointing Naval Captain Painter Ali Sami Boyar as director, enabled the museum to be reorganized in a scientific sense. In 1917, Ali Sami Boyar published the museum's first catalogue and laid the foundation for the museum's development and its present form by establishing the "ship model workshop" for making full and half models of Turkish ships and the "moulage (casting)-mannequin workshop" where mannequins were made.

The museum, which moved to the Nakkaşhane building in Kasımpaşa in 1933, was this time opened under the name "Naval Museum Directorate" and during World War II was transferred to Ankara, İzmit and Niğde in order to protect it from possible destruction. In 1946, it was decided to re-establish the museum in İstanbul, and it was first stored in the present Northern Naval Area Command building, then moved to the Dolmabahçe Camii Hünkar Mahfeli. Under the administration of the new museum director Haluk Şehsuvaroğlu, it was opened to visitors in the autumn of 1948 during the 410th anniversary of the Preveze Naval Victory under the name "Naval Museum and Archive Directorate". In 1956, during the widening of the Dolmabahçe road, the garage and boathouse building, which were among the museum's annexes, were expropriated, and the archives and documents located there were moved to the Arabacılar Dairesi in the northern part of Dolmabahçe Palace (today's Naval History Archive building). Finally, on 27 September 1961, it was moved to its present location next to the monument and tomb of the Turkish Admiral Kaptan-ı Derya Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa in İskele Meydanı in the Beşiktaş district. It was opened for service in its new building on 4 October 2013. It continues to exist as the largest museum in Türkiye in the field of maritime and one of the world's distinguished museums in terms of the diversity of its collections.

Places to Visit in İstanbul Address: İstanbul Naval Museum Command Sinan Paşa Mah. Beşiktaş Cad. 6/1