Istanbul Military Museum: Big, Detailed Museum with a Lovely Yard

Istanbul Military Museum is a big museum at Harbiye. It has a lovely yard with cats and flowers. We even saw two green wild parrot on a tree. We hadn't been inside the museum before. We decided just to take a look at it and after 3-4 hours we had walked our feed off. So, we advise you to take your time and to leave your baggage somewhere if you can.

The museum covers an area of 54.000 m2 and the museum building is 18.600 m2. It was build in 1862 for the purpose of education officers for the army. Abdulhamit II had it built. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was a student of this school for some time, you can visit his figurative class inside. The building was used as a school until 1936, and as corps headquarters until 1964.

In 1964, the decision was made to turn it into a museum. Its restoration was started in 1966 and was finished in 1991. Many spatial and functional changes were made. These changes made the building somehow different both inside and outside than the older building that was used as a military school. I don't know what it looked like before, but it looks fine now.

The building was originally Aya Irini Church, and  when Fatih conquered "Constantinople", he turned it into armoury. The remains, some of which were ancient, were protected. So it can be said that first museum activities started then. The artifacts were carried to Nigde on the account of World War II. Then it was brought back to Macka Armoury, which now belongs to Istanbul Technical University. Today they are in Cinili Kosk, inside Istanbul Archaelogical Museum complex.

Inside the Museum

First of all (and normally) it is a very patriotic museum. The first floor begins with ancient Turkish history: Huns (who I equate with Vikings in terms of the active pnosition of women in migrant settler society), Gokturks (with an interesting alphabet) and Uyghurs (whose grand-grandchildren are still living in China). You can observe the migratory roots. There is a statue of Attila the Hun.

Then comes the Seljuks. I like their art. They are in between Turkish Shamanism and Islam. Normally, Islam forbids paintings and statues. But the Seljuks were in a transition period. Their art includes lion statues, story depictions etc. There are many traces of Seljuks around Turkey. You can watch the slide on the screen and see their pictures. Unfortunately you won't see Istanbul among those, because they couldn't make it to Istanbul at that time.



There are many things about the Ottomans, and there should be considering the period of time they reigned (1299-1922). You'll see things about the conquest of Istanbul. The steps and the wars that lead to Turkish republic are also exhibited in various rooms. You can visit the figurative class of Ataturk. You can see him discuss with his friends during The War of Independence.

The museum is also rich of statues and artifacts, such as men on horses, study tables, an old car (that witnessed and assassination of one of its passengers), and on the second floor guns and arms of every kind. For your information: Everyday at 15.00-16.00, you can watch the jannissary band perform.

Outside the Museum

The yard of the Istanbul Military Museum is very pleasant. There are trees and flowers. There are artifacts such as a real military helicopter and a real big cannon. Cats wander around and most of them are very friendly. One of them was so friendly that it accomponied us until we went into the museum building.

The museum today is a building complex with some newer additional buildings, but the yellow building you'll see is only newer than the museum building. It has actually Ottoman tughra and inscriptions on it. After you exit the complex, walk towards Nisantasi and visit Sanatcilar Park, which is a minute walk away. There you'll find the most comfortable cats, kittens and dogs of Istanbul.