Istanbul Naval Museum is called in Turkish İstanbul Deniz Müzesi, and it is one of the most famous landmarks in Istanbul, as well as the most famous Marine Museum in Turkey and the world because it holds a rich and unique collection of navy equipment. This National Marine Museum includes unique and rare collections of weapons and belongings of the Ottoman military navy Therefore, it is considered an important attraction for tourists, both inside and outside Turkey.

Istanbul Naval Museum

History of Istanbul Naval Museum

The Ottoman history is characterized by several achievements and challenges, and we can learn about the part of the history of the ancient Ottoman fleet through the Istanbul Naval Museum by learning in deep about its contents and the most important stories it holds, and here we show you the most important details of this museum:

The Naval Museum was founded in 1897 in the city of Kasım paşa, by order of Sultan Abdul Hamid II, the last Ottoman sultan. The museum was established by the Minister of the Navy during the Ottoman Caliphate, which was called (Bozcaadalı Hasan Hüsnü Paşa) in Turkish Bozcaadalı Hasan Hüsnü Paşa

locations of Istanbul Naval Museum

The museum was initially established inside a very small building that was located in a shipbuilding area, but with the change of security conditions due to the outbreak of the World War, the museum was moved from this area to the Anatolia region, to protect the collection from damage as a result of any sudden aggression against the country.

After that, it was converted into a mosque and was called Dolmabahçe Mosque, and that was in 1949, while in 1961 the museum was moved to an office within the Turkish state of Çankırı, and shortly after that began its renovation.

Now the museum is located in the Besiktas district on the European side of Istanbul in Turkey.

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Contains Istanbul Naval Museum

This museum is distinguished by its unique collection, as it displays different costumes of the Turkish sailors who made up the Ottoman Navy.

It also contains different models of Turkish naval ships, which are characterized by special engravings, paintings, and maps that display Turkish maritime history.

 

About Istanbul Naval Museum

Through the Naval Museum in Istanbul, the stories of many sailors and the heroes of the naval jihad during and after the Ottoman Caliphate are presented. Among the most important figures in the museum is the sailor Hayreddin Barbarossa.

Below we present the more interesting information about him:

 

  • The Istanbul Naval Museum is located by the seaside, as well as next to the tomb of the sailor, naval hero, and jihadist Hayreddin Barbarossa or Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa.

 

  • This public square was established in order to commemorate the Ottoman admiral who died in the year 953 Hijri calendar, specifically on the twenty-fourth of July in the year 1546.
  • The reason why the sailor Barbarossa got so much attention is that he was the best sailor of the Ottoman Caliphate at that time, so he was one of the most important people who supported the Ottoman Empire at sea.
  • The sailor Barbarossa was appointed to be the Minister of the Ottoman Navy, as well as the commander of the Ottoman naval forces, after which he became the Governor of Algeria.
  • The most important distinguishing feature of the Naval Museum in Istanbul is that it is located near the Sinan Pasha Mosque, and this is the mosque that was built for the Ottoman prince of the sea, Captain Sinan Pasha, in 1555, where this ancient mosque is located, on the other side, directly in front of the mosque, and all of this Near Besiktas Bridge.
  • Although the history of the mosque dates back almost to the late nineteenth century, it was only established in Besiktas in 1961 AD, that is, its age did not exceed sixty-five years.

 

The Most Important Stages of Change For The Naval Museum

The Naval Museum in Istanbul has gone through several stages, because it has been moved more than once, and has also been restored several times throughout its history. Here we follow together some of the stages that this ancient historical landmark went through:

 

  • The museum went through several restorations, the largest of which was in 2008 where this process lasted for more than five years.
  • the museum was opened in 2013 and it consists of three floors, and the total area on which it is located is 20,000 square meters.
  • The collection of the Naval Museum in Istanbul contains a huge collection of wooden sailboats, which date back to the old Ottoman fleet.
  • There is also in the museum a different collection of models of ships and heads, as well as some wood carvings, paintings, seals, and other things related to the navy.

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Amazing Facts About Istanbul Naval Museum

 

Here are some shocking facts about the Naval Museum in Istanbul that will push you to visit it as soon as possible:

 

  • The museum displays the famous Byzantine Chain, which has been known as a barrier for thousands of years, as it was preventing the enemy fleet from entering the Golden Horn.
  • Most of the museum's holdings have undergone restoration over the past decade, and there is a special interest in the cayks of the Ottoman Empire so that we can preserve the most important collections in the museum.
  • The Naval Museum in Istanbul is one of the most modern museums in Istanbul, in addition to being connected to the Turkish Naval Command.
  • The cost of entering the museum is only five Turkish Lira.

 

How To Go to The Istanbul Naval Museum

 

The Naval Museum in Istanbul can be easily reached because it is located in the city of Istanbul, which is famous for being a tourist city par excellence, in addition to being located in the European part of the city:

 

  • As we know the Naval Museum in Istanbul is located in Besiktas, so the easiest way to reach it is by taking a ship from Kadikoy, Eminonu, or Uskudar.
  • Then you can get off in Besiktas, where the museum is located by the sidewalk, in the district of Kabatas and Ortakoy.
  • There are very important landmarks in this area that can be visited next to the museum, such as the Sinan Pasha Mosque, Ortakoy Neighborhood, as well as Ortakoy Mosque, in addition to Dolmabahce Palace Museum, and there is the famous and luxury Shangri-La chain of hotels.

Description of the museum and its holdings

 

The Naval Museum in Istanbul contains several buildings and there is more than one collection, so we will show you a brief explanation about the museum and its most important holdings:

 

  • The Naval Museum in Istanbul consists of two buildings, one of which contains several models of the ancient Turkish naval ships, as well as the ships that were a gift to the Turkish navy from different countries. also, a group of the captured ships by the Turkish Navy. Each model of these ships has a written description on the plates showing all the information about it.
  • The museum contains an ancient collection of ships that were used by the Janissaries, who were known for their extreme skill in fighting and wars during the wars of the Ottoman Caliphate.
  • the other building contains all the belongings of the hero, the Turkish soldier, and the father of the modern Turks, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, as he is considered the first president of the Republic of Turkey, and because of his decisions, the rule of the Ottoman Caliphate was ended during the beginning of the twentieth century.

 

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A visit to the Naval Museum in Istanbul is not limited to lovers of history. On the contrary, despite its specialization in military naval belongings, it attracts tourists of different tastes because it displays its collections in an interesting and attractive way