5 unusual museums in Istanbul

This beautiful villa built in 1906 was the former home of the famous Turkish poet Tevfik Fikret, considered to be the founder of modern Turkish poetry. Overlooking an inspiring view of the Bosphorus, the museum displays the personal belongings of Fikret and other writers of the ‘Edebiyat-ı Cedide’ (New Literature) movement.

In the 1970s Barış Manço emerged as one of the pioneers of Anatolian Rock, a confluence of traditional Turkish folk and arabesque with the era’s western rock influence. One of Turkey’s most beloved musicians, Manço’s former home is now a museum where everything from his Steinway piano to his iconic stage costumes are on display.

This museum is inside a breathtaking former mansion built in the late 1800s in the Renaissance Revival architectural style with beautiful ceiling frescos, marble stairs and original wooden flooring. Also, home to the famous Atlas Cinema, the museum exhibits the comprehensive history of Turkish cinema and hosts temporary exhibitions on renowned film directors.

Built by the German architect August Jasmund in 1890, the Sirkeci Station is a beauty to behold and inside you’ll find a small one-room museum that pays homage to the Orient Express. The Istanbul Railway Museum displays documents, objects and train artefacts belonging to the famously luxurious railway service that travelled from Paris to Istanbul.

Turkey’s first camera museum exhibits photographer Hilmi Nakipoğlu’s vast collection of cameras and photography paraphernalia starting with one of the first models designed in 1896. Inside a beautifully renovated home, the displays also have black-and-white photography that transport its viewers to bygone eras.