Sadberk Hanim Museum

A Collection of History at Sadberk Hanim Museum

Istanbul is packed with museums, and they are dotted all around the city. If you prefer your settings to be more laid-back, and you want to enjoy the fresh sea air at the same time, why not head over to Sariyer and visit the Sadberk Hanim Museum?

A relative newcomer to the Istanbul cultural stage, the Sadberk Hanim Museum opened its doors in 1980, and was dedicated to Sadberk Koc, the late wife of a famous businessman within the area, Vehbi Koc. Sadberk Hanim Museum was the first private museum to open in Turkey, and stands today as a fantastic example of history and culture.

About Sadberk Hanim Museum

The Sariyer neighbourhood is located to the north of Istanbul and sits right on the waterfront. If you visit Bebek, you need to continue walking and you will eventually reach Sariyer, or you could of course take the bus if you want to save your feet!

The museum was originally a mansion which was owned by the Koc family themselves, and it is a very impressive building too. After a while the mansion was restored and converted into the museum we see today. As it was an instant success, the museum then expanded its space into next door.

The two buildings are part of the same museum but house two different collections for visitors to explore. The first contains various historical artefacts and objects dating back to the Neolithic times (around 6500BC) and up to throughout the Ottoman Era. These are items which have been found from excavations and archaeological digs too. The other building contains items which are related to Ottoman times and general Turkish-Islamic items. There are various exhibitions which take place throughout the year, and this is something to check out nearer to the time of your visit.

Each building contains a wide range of different artefacts including pottery, coins, ornaments, and clay items dating back throughout a vast period of history, including the Byzantines, Greeks, and even the Romans. The Iznik Ceramic Collection is one of the best exhibitions ceramic you’ll ever set your eyes on, and you can also see collections of clothing worn by women in Ottoman times, dating back to around the 18th century.

Visiting The Sadberk Hanim Museum

Visiting Sariyer overall is definitely to be recommended, and it will show you a slower, calmer pace of life compared to what you will experience in the ‘central’ part of the European side of Istanbul, e.g. Sultanahmet, Eminonu, Taksim, Besiktas, etc. The feel is much more sea-side, and you will see people jogging along the waterfront, fishing, sitting and having a coffee, the seagulls overhead, and the various tankers moving slowly down the Bosphorus right in front of you. It’s strange how silently they seem to move!

To reach Sariyer you can take a bus from either Besiktas or Bebek and get off at Beyaz Park station. You can easily walk from the bus station in just a few minutes and reach Sadberk Hanim Museum.

The museum is one every day, but closed on Wednesdays. Opening hours are 10am until 5pm. There is a 10TL charge to enter the museum, but you can spend as much time as you like browsing the various collections and exhibitions that are inside.

Once you have finished inside the museum, be sure to explore Sariyer a little more. There are countless coffee shops and seafood restaurants around, and you can enjoy a calmer pace of life, before heading back to your hotel, wherever you are staying. The buses run through Sariyer and back towards Besiktas until around midnight, however do check ahead of time to avoid issues late at night. Also remember that by taking the bus you are likely to get stuck in traffic at some point, and this is quite a long journey!

Having said that, you shouldn’t let the journey put you off visiting this wonderful part of Istanbul. The more residential, slower feel to life will also allow you to see a different side to the city, and notice that it isn’t all about tourism and rushing around at a fast pace! This is also quite an upmarket part of the city, and you will see huge mansions and houses high on the hillside, sloping down to the main road and waterside in front of you.

Take the time to explore this northern part of the city and really get to say that you visited Istanbul’s ‘other’ side.