Istanbul is home to the largest maritime museum in Turkey. It is still in operation today and is under the command of the Turkish Navy Forces. More than 20,000 objects are kept there. It is distinguished for being the first military museum in the country and is also referred to as the naval museum. Regardless of your level of interest in the military or the Marines, this special museum should be on your bucket list. It is at the heart of Besiktas.

The Maritime Museum was founded in 1897 during World War II. It was established under the name of Museum and Library Administration with the permission of Abdülhamit and with the instructions of the Minister of Naval Affairs Bozcaadalı Hasan Hüsnü Pasha. The museum, which first started to serve in a small building in Tersane-i Amire, operated in different buildings over time. In 1961, it moved to its current location in Beşiktaş and started to serve as the “Naval Museum and Archives Directorate”.

Next to the museum building, an old warehouse built in the early 20th century and used for various functions was organized as the Historical Boats Gallery in 1971. Galleys and sultanate boats were exhibited here.

However, due to the inadequacy of this gallery, an architectural project competition was organized for a new museum building in 2005. In 2008, the tender was concluded and the construction of the museum started. The project included the Main Exhibition Building, Historical Boats Gallery, Cultural Site, and Open Exhibition Areas. First, a temporary warehouse was built to preserve the historical boats, and the boats were moved to this warehouse in 2009. Once the restoration was completed, the Historical Boats Gallery was reopened to visitors on October 4, 2013.