Museum Visits in Ankara and Istanbul

Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ankara. Photograph by Deniz Beyazit

«With a cultural heritage that spans world civilization from prehistoric to contemporary times, Turkey is home to some very important museums. In the past week, we've seen some of the top Turkish museums, including the recently reopened Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara, which we visited on a day trip when traveling from Cappadocia to Istanbul.»

In Istanbul, we lounged and queued for the classic tourist favorites such as the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, and the Grand Bazaar. We also visited three museums built on the European shore of the Bosporus, all three private foundations of Turkish philanthropist families. The Sadberk Hanım is a little treasure for Iznik ceramics, costumes, and other textiles from the Ottoman period. The Sabancı holds European interior decoration and a decent collection of Islamic calligraphy, but it is also one of the few places where Istanbullites can enjoy world-class masters during its many special exhibitions. Lastly, for those hungry and curious for "newer" art, the Istanbul Modern allows the public to get an overall taste for Turkish modern and contemporary art.

Visitors in front of "Symphony in Blue" by Burhan Doğançay at the Istanbul Modern. Photograph by Deniz Beyazit