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The Istanbul Naval Museum (İstanbul Deniz Müzesi) is the largest maritime museum in Istanbul, Turkey. It boasts about 20,000 pieces in its collection, many pertaining to the Ottoman Navy.

Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul Naval Museum

 

Introduction to the Istanbul Naval Museum

The Istanbul Naval Museum was established in 1897 by Bozcaadalı Hasan Hüsnü Paşa (1832-1903), the Ottoman Minister of the Navy, with the permission of Sultan Abdülhamid II. The first location was at the Imperial Shipyard on the Golden Horn. It moved to a depot in Beşiktaş in 1961 and opened to the public 10 years later.

Model of the Istanbul Naval Museum

Due to issues preserving and displaying the collection, it was decided that a new museum would be built. A design competition opened on August 14, 2005, and the winner was chosen in 2008. The collection was moved to a temporary space next door. The new museum building opened on October 4, 2013.

Model of the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Model of the Istanbul Naval Museum

I visited the temporary building in September 2011 and finally had a chance to visit the new building in May 2022. This post follows the suggested path through the Istanbul Naval Museum starting with exhibits on the ground floor. The path winds up to the second floor and continues down to the first floor and finally to the basement.


 

Visiting the Istanbul Naval Museum

The museum is open daily except Mondays, from 9am to 5pm on weekdays and 10am to 6pm on weekends. Admission for foreigners is 400₺ (as of July 2024). It’s located just west of Barbaros Park in Beşiktaş. Visit the official website for more info.

Lobby

 

Ground Floor of the Istanbul Naval Museum

The ground floor of the Istanbul Naval Museum displays the largest and most impressive pieces in the museum collection.

 

Atatürk’s Boats

Once through the main entrance of the museum, a set of wide steps leads visitors down to ground level. Along the sides of the steps is a collection of rowboats used by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), the founder of the Turkish Republic. The exhibit emphasizes Atatürk’s love for the sea.

Steps down to the ground floor at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Steps down to the ground floor
Rowboat used by Atatürk
Rowboat used by Atatürk
Rowboat used by Atatürk at Gazi Farm in Ankara at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Rowboat used by Atatürk at Gazi Farm in Ankara


 

Imperial Caiques

At the bottom of the steps is a large hall full of long narrow rowboats. These are the imperial caiques, which were used by the Ottoman sultans on the Bosporus and Golden Horn.

Imperial caiques at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Imperial caiques
Imperial caique at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Imperial caique

The caiques were used for both ceremonial and daily excursions. They featured several pairs of long oars as well as a small pavilion or sofa for the sultan. The caiques were ornately decorated with floral patterns and other symbols to reflect the power of the Ottoman throne.

Imperial caiques at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Imperial caiques
Detail on an imperial caique built for Sultan Abdülmecid I between 1850 and 1851
Detail on an imperial caique built for Sultan Abdülmecid I between 1850 and 1851

 

Imperial Thrones

One of the most important pieces on display on the ground floor is the throne of the Ottoman Naval Academy at Heybeliada. It was used by Sultan Abdülmecid I from 1851 to 1852. Abdülmecid started the tradition of attending naval examinations on October 17, 1848.

Throne of the Ottoman Naval Academy at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Throne of the Ottoman Naval Academy

The back side of another throne belonging to Sultan Ahmed I was used at Aynalıkavak Pavilion. It was built by Halil Pasha, the Admiral-in-Chief of the Ottoman Navy, in 1613.

Back side of a throne belonging to Sultan Ahmed I
Back side of a throne belonging to Sultan Ahmed I

 

Ship Figures

Also on the ground floor are several items once attached to Ottoman ships. They include nameplates, coats of arms, and figureheads.

Nameplate from the Selimiye
Nameplate from the Selimiye
Coat of arms with the tughra of Sultan Abdülaziz
Coat of arms with the tughra of Sultan Abdülaziz
Lion figurehead from the steamer Rehber-i Tevfik
Lion figurehead from the steamer Rehber-i Tevfik


 

Orhaniye

The escutcheon and coat of arms of the broadside ironclad Orhaniye sit at the end of the hall. The Orhaniye was the third of four Ottoman ironclads built by Robert Napier & Sons of Glasgow, Scotland. It was ordered in 1862, launched on June 26, 1865, and commissioned in 1866. The ship saw action during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 as part of the Mediterranean fleet, refitted between 1890 and 1891, and was launched during the Greco-Turkish War of 1897. It was used as a barracks vessel at Kasımpaşa from 1908 to July 31, 1909, when it was decommissioned. The Orhaniye was sold for scrap in 1913.

Coat of arms of the ironclad Orhaniye at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Coat of arms of the ironclad Orhaniye

 

Ramp to the Second Floor

Next, the ramp up to the second floor of the Istanbul Naval Museum allows visitors to get a view of the imperial caiques from above.

Imperial caiques
Imperial caiques
Looking down on an imperial caique at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Looking down on an imperial caique
Looking down on an imperial caique at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Looking down on an imperial caique


 

Second Floor of the Istanbul Naval Museum

The second floor of the Istanbul Naval Museum begins with a continuation of the imperial caique exhibit then turns its attention to the Ottoman and Turkish Navies.

 

Aziziye

First, at the top of the ramp to the second floor are the escutcheon and coat of arms of the broadside ironclad Aziziye. The Aziziye was named for Sultan Abdülaziz and was the second of four Ottoman ironclads built by Robert Napier & Sons. It was ordered in 1862, launched in January 1865, and commissioned in August of that year, later serving in the Mediterranean fleet during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78.

Escutcheon of the ironclad Aziziye at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Escutcheon of the ironclad Aziziye

The Aziziye was refitted between 1892 and 1894 and launched during the Greco-Turkish War of 1897. It was then sent to Kasımpaşa to be used as a barracks vessel until July 31, 1909, when it was decommissioned. The Aziziye was sold for scrap in 1923.

Coat of arms of the ironclad Aziziye at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Coat of arms of the ironclad Aziziye

 

Imperial Caiques and Other Boats

The Istanbul Naval Museum collection of imperial caiques continues after the pieces of the Aziziye. A handful of the boats are presented in the gallery.

Second floor imperial caique gallery at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Second floor imperial caique gallery
Pavilion on an imperial caique
Pavilion on an imperial caique
Imperial caique at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Imperial caique
Imperial caique belonging to Sultan Mehmed V
Imperial caique belonging to Sultan Mehmed V

There are also several smaller rowboats on display as well as figureheads that belonged to different ships and yachts.

Rowboats
Rowboats
Bird figureheads
Bird figureheads


 

Ottoman Coats of Arms

The second floor gallery displays wooden carvings containing the Ottoman coat of arms and tughras of the sultans. They hang on the wall while walking past the caiques and boats.

Ottoman coat of arms
Ottoman coat of arms
Ottoman coat of arms
Ottoman coat of arms

 

Battleship Model

At the end of the first gallery is a scale model of the battleship Sultan Osman-ı Evvel. It was ordered by the Brazilian Navy in 1911 and originally named for Rio de Janeiro. It was still under construction by Armstrong-Whitworth of Newcastle, England, when Brazil sold it to the Ottoman Empire in December 1913. The ship was then renamed Sultan Osman-ı Evvel.

Model of the battleship Sultan Osman-ı Evvel at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Model of the battleship Sultan Osman-ı Evvel

Although payment for the ship was complete, the British government seized it for use by the Royal Navy in August 1914 and renamed it the HMS Agincourt. This caused resentment in the Ottoman Empire and led to their decision to join the Central Powers during World War I.

 

Ottoman Navy Gallery

The next gallery focuses on the Ottoman Navy. Fittingly, a piece of the chain used by the Byzantines to block entry to the Golden Horn during the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 sits at the beginning of the exhibit.

Byzantine chain used to block the Golden Horn in the Ottoman Navy exhibit at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Byzantine chain used to block the Golden Horn

The gallery then continues with several interesting artifacts and works of art. One that caught my eye was the standard used by Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha (1478-1546), the admiral of the Ottoman Navy who secured their dominance over the Mediterranean in the 16th century.

Ottoman Navy exhibit at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Ottoman Navy
Standard used by Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha
Standard used by Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha

Navigational instruments are an important feature of this exhibit. Items such as hourglasses and an inclinometer helped captains navigate the seas with accuracy.

Navigational instruments in the Ottoman Navy exhibit
Navigational instruments
Hourglasses in the Ottoman Navy exhibit
Hourglasses
Inclinometer in the Ottoman Navy exhibit
Inclinometer

After a small room with a timeline of the Ottoman Navy, the exhibit turns down another corridor featuring more works of art, weapons, and model ships.

Timeline of the Ottoman Navy
Timeline of the Ottoman Navy
Ottoman Navy exhibit at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Ottoman Navy
Pistols in the Ottoman Navy exhibit
Pistols
1/33 scale model of the first-rate three-decker galleon Mahmudiye
1/33 scale model of the first-rate three-decker galleon Mahmudiye

The most interesting piece is a cannon in the shape of a winged dragon spitting fire from his mouth. It was made in Austria and captured during the Second Siege of Vienna in 1683, commanded by Grand Vizier Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha (1645-1683).

Cannon in the form of a winged dragon in the Ottoman Navy exhibit at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Cannon in the form of a winged dragon

Finally, there’s a recreation of the office of the Minister of the Navy. It includes furniture and a painting of Bozcaadalı Hasan Hüsnü Pasha (1832-1903), the founder of the Istanbul Naval Museum.

Office of the Minister of the Navy


 

Republican Navy Gallery

The next section on the second floor focuses on the navy of the Turkish Republic. It contains more of the same items on display as the Ottoman section but much more modern.

Modern naval artifacts in the Republican Navy exhibit
Modern naval artifacts
Republican Navy exhibit at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Republican Navy
Republican Navy exhibit at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Republican Navy

The exhibit features a small room with a timeline of the Turkish Navy as well as model ships, nameplates, weapons, paintings, and other artifacts.

Timeline of the Turkish Navy
Timeline of the Turkish Navy
1/50 scale model of the minesweeper Trabzon (formerly the HMCS Gaspé)
1/50 scale model of the minesweeper Trabzon (formerly the HMCS Gaspé)
Ship nameplates in the Republican Navy exhibit
Ship nameplates
Model ships and paintings

 

Naval Uniforms from Past to Present

The final section on the second floor of the Istanbul Naval Museum displays naval uniforms from the Ottoman era up through the Turkish Republic.

Naval Uniforms from Past to Present exhibit at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Naval Uniforms from Past to Present

The uniforms shown are for several different ranking members of the navy, from sailors all the way up to admirals. Adornments such as stars and buttons are also exhibited.

19th century Ottoman naval uniforms: admiral (left), machinery commander (center), and machinery lieutenant (right)
19th century Ottoman naval uniforms: admiral (left), machinery commander (center), and machinery lieutenant (right)
Minister of the Navy (1876-1909) (left); Chief Admiral (1833-1839) (center); and Rear Admiral (1855-1861) (right) in the Naval Uniforms from Past to Present exhibit at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Minister of the Navy (1876-1909) (left); Chief Admiral (1833-1839) (center); and Rear Admiral (1855-1861) (right)
Modern uniforms used by the Turkish Navy in the Naval Uniforms from Past to Present exhibit
Modern uniforms used by the Turkish Navy
Uniform adornments in the Naval Uniforms from Past to Present exhibit
Uniform adornments


 

First Floor of the Istanbul Naval Museum

The first floor of the Istanbul Naval Museum has two sections. One is dedicated to the memory of sailors and officers killed on duty while the other focuses on Atatürk.

 

Martyrs and Gazis

The first hall is the Martyrs and Gazis Exhibition. It memorializes the sailors and naval officers killed on duty for the Ottoman Empire and Turkey.

Martyrs and Gazis exhibit
Martyrs and Gazis
Naval officers killed during World War I in the Martyrs and Gazis exhibit
Naval officers killed during World War I

One section of the exhibit that caught my eye told the tragic story of the Ottoman frigate Ertuğrul, which was launched on October 19, 1863. While returning from a goodwill voyage to Japan, it encountered a typhoon off the coast of Kushimoto. The ship hit a reef and sunk on September 18, 1890. Over 500 sailors and officers died, including Rear Admiral Ali Osman Pasha.

Route of the Ertuğrul's last voyage in the Martyrs and Gazis exhibit at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Route of the Ertuğrul’s last voyage

The survivors, six officers and 63 sailors, were rescued and transported back to Constantinople aboard Japanese corvettes Kongō and Hiei. A model of the two Japanese ships as well as several letters, documents, photos, and artifacts round out the display.

Models of the Japanese corvettes Kongō (right) and Hiei (left) in the Martyrs and Gazis exhibit at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Models of the Japanese corvettes Kongō (right) and Hiei (left)
Artifacts and documents related to the Ertuğrul in the Martyrs and Gazis exhibit at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Artifacts and documents related to the Ertuğrul

Two small rooms are attached to the Martyrs and Gazis Exhibition. One honors sailors killed during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974.

Sailors killed during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus

The other is dedicated to those killed at the Turkish Naval Headquarters in Gölcük during the 1999 Izmit earthquake. There are before and after pictures of the buildings.

Sailors killed at the Turkish Naval Headquarters in Gölcük
Before and after photos of the Turkish Naval Headquarters in Gölcük
Before and after photos of the Turkish Naval Headquarters in Gölcük

 

Atatürk and the Ertuğrul

The second hall on the first floor focuses on Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The first section displays his belongings from the yacht Ertuğrul between 1925 and 1937.

VIP cabin from the yacht Ertuğrul in the Atatürk exhibit at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
VIP cabin from the yacht Ertuğrul

The yacht was built in England, launched on December 3, 1903, and delivered to the Ottoman Navy in 1904 for use as the sultanate yacht. After it became the presidential yacht in 1924, Atatürk used it to host many foreign heads of state. The Ertuğrul was decommissioned in 1937.

Atatürk's belongings from the yacht Ertuğrul
Atatürk’s belongings from the yacht Ertuğrul


 

Atatürk and the Savarona

The other section is about Atatürk and the yacht Savarona. The Savarona was built by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg, Germany, for American heiress Emily Roebling Cadwalader (d. 1941). It was the largest yacht in the world when launched on February 28, 1931, at 136 meters (446 feet).

Artifacts from the yacht Savarona
Artifacts from the yacht Savarona
1/100 scale model of the yacht Savarona in the Atatürk exhibit at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
1/100 scale model of the yacht Savarona

Atatürk admired the Savarona very much, and the Turkish government purchased it on February 23, 1938. It was delivered to an ailing Atatürk as a gift on June 1, 1938, with the purpose of helping him regain his health. He boarded the yacht outside Dolmabahçe Palace and stayed on it until July 25, for a total of 55 days. The yacht later participated in the funeral of Atatürk on November 19, 1938.

Dining room from the yacht Savarona
Atatürk's bedroom from the yacht Savarona in the Atatürk exhibit at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Atatürk’s bedroom from the yacht Savarona
Atatürk’s death report


 

Basement of the Istanbul Naval Museum

The basement is the last section visitors pass through at the Istanbul Naval Museum. It fittingly contains artifacts used under the sea, including a fantastic exhibition of historical diving equipment.

 

Historical Diving Equipment

The collection of historical diving equipment was acquired by the Istanbul Naval Museum in 2016. It was donated by Cem (Jeff) Hakko, a lover of the sea and the chairman of Vakko. He put together the collection over a period of 30 years.

Historical Diving Equipment exhibit at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Historical Diving Equipment
Two-cylinder air pump and hose in the Historical Diving Equipment exhibit at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Two-cylinder air pump and hose
Diving boots and helmet; Germany; 1940-1950; copper, brass, and glass
Diving boots and helmet; Germany; 1940-1950; copper, brass, and glass

The historical diving equipment collection is one of the finest of its kind in the world. It chronicles the history and improvement in diving equipment throughout the years. On display are helmets, boots, weights, suits, air pumps and hoses, and more.

Historical Diving Equipment exhibit at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Historical Diving Equipment
Diving boots and weights in the Historical Diving Equipment exhibit at the Istanbul Naval Museum in Istanbul, Turkey
Diving boots and weights
Historical Diving Equipment exhibit
Historical Diving Equipment
Air pumps in the Historical Diving Equipment exhibit
Air pumps

 

Yavuz Exhibit

Another room displays equipment and artifacts from the battleship Yavuz. The Yavuz was originally built as the SMS Goeben for the German Navy. It was launched on March 28, 1911, and commissioned on July 2, 1912. The ship was transferred to the Ottoman Navy on August 16, 1914, and renamed the Yavuz Sultan Selim.

Yavuz exhibit
Yavuz exhibit

The German commander of the ship, Rear Admiral Wilhelm Souchon (1864-1946), was named the commander-in-chief of the Ottoman Navy. He then sealed the Ottoman Empire’s fate by attacking Russian Black Sea ports at Sevastopol, Odessa, Batumi, and others. This prompted a retaliation by the British Navy and forced the Ottomans to join the Central Powers during World War I.

Equipment from the Yavuz
Equipment from the Yavuz

After the formation of the Turkish Republic, the Yavuz became the flagship of the Turkish Navy. It carried the remains of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938) from Istanbul to Izmit during his funeral. The ship was decommissioned on December 20, 1950.

Equipment from the Yavuz
Equipment from the Yavuz

Turkey offered to sell the Yavuz to West Germany as a museum ship, but the offer was declined and the ship was sold for scrap in 1973. The Yavuz was the last surviving ship built by the Imperial German Navy and the longest-serving dreadnought-type ship in any navy.

 

Map with the Istanbul Naval Museum

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Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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