Where is the istanbul naval museum? What is the history of istanbul naval museum?
Istanbul Naval Museum, which is located opposite to Beşiktaş Wharf, is under the authority of Turkish Naval Forces. It was established in 1897 in Tersane-i Amire (Shipyard of Ottoman Empire) in Kasımpaşa by the order of Ottoman Minister of Navy Hasan Hüsnü Pasha.
Upon the break out of the World War II, the artifacts exhibited in this Museum were transferred to Konya for the purpose of protection, just as the pieces exhibited in Istanbul Military Museum. After the end of the war, they were brought back to Istanbul and opened to visitors in Dolmabahçe Mosque. The Museum was moved to its present location in 1961.
The tomb in the İskele Square right next to the Museum is the tomb of the great Turkish sailor Kapudan Pasha Hayreddin Barbarossa (1466-1546).
Three storey building of the Museum lies over about 20,000 square metre. Approximately fout thousand pieces chosen among approximately 20,000 pieces are exhibited in four huge hall and seventeen room in the building. The Museum includes sailor uniforms, navy models, paintings about the naval history, and weapons such as grenades, torpedos, and guns.
The sultanate galley of Sultan Mehmet IV (1648-1687) which is exhibited in the section of sultanate boats collections is the oldest marine vessel survived to this day. Its length is 40 meters and its width is 5.90 meters. This 140-ton galley used to be moved through 24 pairs of oar (each oar was pulled by three people, so 24x2x3=144 oarsman used to be employed to move this galley)
In the yard of the museum, there are artilleries from different periods. Moreover, the ruins of German battleship, which sank in our shore during the World War II, is exhibited here.
The Naval Museum can be visited between 09.00 and 17.00 every day of the week except Mondays and Tuesdays.
Source: Harun Kırkıl, Read About and Travel Around ISTANBUL, Erkam Publications