İzmir Guide - Museum Route

Agora Open-Air Museum

Phone 232.483-4696 Agora means etymologically city square, bazaar and market place. Having commercial, legal, religious and political functions, agora is the place where art is concentrated, the foundations of philosophy are laid and stoas, monuments, altars and statues abound. It is the heart of trade. Located in Namazgah district of İzmir, agora dates back to Roman period (the 2nd century AC) and was built as threefold near-by the center according to city plan of Hippodamos. İzmir agora is the biggest and most well-kept agora of Ions. İzmir Agora established on the foot of Kadifekale (Pagos Mountain) in İzmir (Smyrna) was used as the state agora of the city. This state agora was connected to commercial agora in the harbor by means of a wide street in the north direction. İzmir Agora is the biggest state agora inside the city.

Arkas Naval History Center Museum

80 Street 28, Bornova • Phone 232.342-1011 The house which was built in the 1800s in Bornova and was home to Arkas family for a definite period hosts some part of the collection consisting of the model ships, paintings and ship antiques as Arkas Naval History Center. In addition to Turkish ships such as Bandırma Steamer and Savarona Yacht, scouts of Christophe Colomb exist on this floor. A wide range of model ships of the 17th – 20th century in the second floor offers the historical development of navigation with a wonderful visuality. Moreover, the paintings of the seascape artists such as Dixon, Molsted, Roux and Sami Yetik accompany the model ships. The room of ship antiques in the ground floor of the center reveals how tough the navigation profession is.

İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Ahmet Piriştina City Archive and Museum

Şair Eşref Blvd. 1/A, Çankaya • Phone 232.293-3900 APİKAM generates the memory of the city. Besides, it continues its studies in order to strengthen the urban belonging of İzmir population with various exhibitions and other activities. The establishment consists of two main units: Archive and Museum City Archive aims at keeping all kinds of materials reflecting the history and cultural accumulation of İzmir in a compiled and sorted way. The materials collected in İzmir Urban Archive are sorted according to scientific methods and made ready for being searched by using all opportunities of the computer technology.

İzmir Archeology Museum

Halit Rıfat Paşa Street 4, Konak • Phone 232.489-0796 • Open to visit every day except Monday; between the hours of 08.30-12.30 / 13.30-17.30 in winter and of 08.30-17.30 in summer. A wide range of works from Prehistorical Ages to Byzantine Period are exhibited in the museum. Marble "Statue of Androklos" which dates back to Roman Period and is supposed to belong to the founder of Ephesus is one of the most striking works of İzmir Archeology Museum. In "Treasure Room" on the same floor with "Bronze Statue of Running Athlete" and "Bronze Statue of Demeter" found in the submerges in the Aegean Sea, it is possible to see the coins of Archaic, Classical, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic Periods, ornaments of Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Periods made of gold, silver and precious stones and the glassware is possible. The plastic works in the museum belong to Hellenistic (330-30 BC) and Roman (30 BC – 395 AC) periods.

Atatürk Museum

Atatürk Caddesi No: 24, Alsancak • Phone 232.464-8085 • Open to visit every day except Monday between the hours of 08.30-12.30 / 13.30-17.30. The building has a Neo-classical style consisting of the Ottoman and Levantine architecture. Once İzmir Economic Congress was held on February 17, 1923, Atatürk performed his individual studies here. The building was purchased in October 13, 1926 by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and presented to Atatürk after adding some new items. Atatürk always stayed in this house when he came to İzmir between 1930 and 1934.

Bergama Museum

Cumhuriyet Street 6, Bergama • Phone 232.631-2883 • Open to visit every day except Monday between the hours of 08.30-17.30. Bergama Museum is an archeology and ethnography museum. The museum where the works discovered in the archeological excavations starting from 1878 and the works discovered in the archeological excavations starting from 1927 in Asklepion are exhibited was opened to visit on October 30, 1936. It comprises galleries surrounding a rectangular yard and the rectangular show rooms behind the yard. Additionally, there are units such as storage, laboratory, photography room and archive.

Çeşme Museum

Kale Street 1, Çeşme One of the historical and cultural values of Çeşme County is Çeşme Fortress. It was built in the period of Sultan Bayezid II in 1508. The fortress kept very well until today contains Çeşme Archeology Museum. Works such as the terra-cotta statues of the gods and goddesses, busts, marble statues, silver and bronze coins, gold foils and amphoras are exhibited in the museum. City walls are the leading apparent ruins in Ildırı (Erythrai). Beside this, villa structures of the Hellenistic and Roman periods discovered in the excavations made in the acropolis and its north side, the Temple of Athena of Archaic Period, a church built in Byzantine period, Roman villa and its mosaics in Cennettepe and a bath built in the late Roman-Byzantine period can be seen.

Ephesus Museum

Kuşadası Street, Selçuk • Phone 232.892-6010 Open to visit everyday except Monday between the hours of 08.30-12.00 / 13.00-17.30. The Ephesus Artemis statue, Eros with dolphin, Eros with rabbit, the statue of Priapos, the marble statue of Artemis, the statue of Egyptian priest, statue of Isis, statues of various mythological gods and the head of Socrates are the most attractive historical works which are exhibited in Ephesus Museum. Some works that are exhibited in the museum are works discovered in the near vicinity. The items showing the commercial life in former Turkish towns and various rare craft works are exhibited in Ottoman bazaar section of the museum making up the middle garden. In a section of Ephesus Museum, electron, gold, silver and bronze coins and ornaments exist.

Ephesus - Selçuk Mother Mary's House

Kuşadası Street, Selçuk • Phone 232.892-6010 There is a small Byzantine Church in the ruin of Mother Mary that we go up by passing near the upper gate of Ephesus ancient city. This place is the house for which it is believed that the mother of Jesus, Mary spent her last years with St. Jean (Yuhanna). It is consecrated and visited by not only the Christians, but also the Muslims. Both of them look for remedy and take vows. Moreover, it is the place of Hajj for the Christians. It is thought regarding the church that being named as Mother Mary is related to the decision of Ecumenical Council meeting in 431: Mary gave birth to Jesus as the son of God. Representatives of the Vatican attend the ceremony held on August 15 as well. Besides, a religious ceremony has been made as the anniversary of the Council meeting in Ephesus Church of the Virgin Mary on the first Sunday of October since 1985.

Ethnography Museum of Ege University

Fevzi Çakmak St. 33, Bornova • Phone 232.342-4878 Coming with the name of "Vinegar House" until today, the museum building was built at the end of the 19th century and in the beginning of the 20th century. Back section of the structure which was transferred to T.R. Treasury Finance in 1943 was used as the production place of vinegar and pickle by the Professorship of Food and Fermentation Technology of E.U. Agricultural Faculty. On the other side, its front section was used as lodging. The building most of it was demolished within the last two decades got started as "Balkan and Anatolian Clothes Museum of E.U." as a result of the renovation completed in June 22nd, 2010.

Paper and Book Arts Museum of Ege University

Gençlik Street 4, Bornova • Phone 232.311-2504 Paper and Book Arts Museum of E.U. offers the visitors the long-term story of the irreplaceable paper and books for the last 2000 years of the world’s cultural history with the samples from distinct cultures. The museum which appeals to the students of every education level with its information and visuals is not only the first in its own field in Turkey, but also has a unique place internationally as a university museum by approaching the subject within a large context and richness. The museum containing the samples of the stages of the paper and book from Europe to Fareast until today offers the visitors more than 700 works. Works of the artists who are the members of IAPMA are given a wide coverage in the section of contemporary paper art. Additionally, there is an art gallery in the museum.

Ethnography Museum

Halit Rıfat Paşa Street 3, Konak • Phone 232.489-0796 • Open to visit every day except Monday; between the hours of 08.30-12.30/13.30-17.30 in winter and of 08.30-17.30 in summer. The story of this structure which contains overtones of the ornaments of the Byzantine architecture and is located within Bahribaba Jewish Cemetery built in 1565 starts from 1831. Blocks and marble headstones brought from Ephesus were used in the structure built as St. Roch Hospital and Monastery for plague patients. Nowadays, the headstones written in Hebrew are seen among the wall stones of Ethnography Museum. Giving evidences of the social life of İzmir and its region in the 19th century was aimed in Ethnography Museum. Therefore the handicrafts such as clog-making, tin-making, pottery, evil eye-making, wood printing, carpet-making, rope-making, and felt-making and leathercraft which face extinction today due to industrialization are exhibited as well.

Hamza Rüstem Photograph Museum

6522 Sokak 8, Karşıyaka • Phone 232.372-2395 Put into service in 2011, the museum exhibiting the collection of a collector from İzmir, Mert Rüstem shows the story of photography beginning with Camera Obscura by exhibiting its development from the camera sample of 1870 to the camera of 1970. In addition to the photos which offer an insight to our history of the Republic and the photos about İzmir city and its life, there are the samples of vernacular photos and the photos of Hamza Rüstem in Cretan period in the museum.

Science Museum

Caher Dudayev Blvd. Mavişehir • Phone 232.324-6060 • The museum is open every day, except Sunday between the hours of 10.00-17.00. The museum contains learning stations, almost 100 testing apparatus and approximately 15 interactive kiosks which aim at telling the people of all ages, particularly 12-15 age group the fundamental principles of science, the technological developments and the effects of science and technology on our daily lives. These learning stations can be visited in groups accompanied by the guides who are expert in their own subject.

Bostanlı Open Air Archeology Museum

90 works are exhibited in the open air museum opened in 1987. Furthermore, there are painting studios opened within the part. Located in Bostanlı Fine Arts Park, Open Air Archeology Museum was opened in 1987 and spotlighted by especially the tourists coming to İzmir via cruises after being renovated completely in 2011.

Museum of İnönü House (Closed)

Phone 232 445 5595 İsmet İnönü was born in 1884 in this house which is a museum-house now while his father, Reşit Bey worked as the assistant of investigating magistrate in İzmir Courthouse. Special activities were held in the birth (September 24) and death (December 25) anniversaries of İnönü and the anniversary of signing Lausanne Treaty (July 24) in the house where the belongings of İsmet İnönü are exhibited. İzmir Metropole Municipality named the street on September in 2000 as "İnönü Street". A mural painting reminding Lausanne was made in the street by Sivas Cumhuriyet University. The museum was closed to visit for restoration works since the autumn of 2013. It’s still closed.

İzmir Press Museum

Gaziler Blvd. 1257 Street Brought in the city with the cooperation of İzmir Metropole Municipality, İzmir Association of Journalists and Ege University, İzmir Press Museum is located inside Ayavukla Church built in the second half of the 19th century by the Rum Orthodox Community. Editions of the first-published newspapers, the cameras, typewriters, telex and printing machines which are used in the past are exhibited in the museum giving service as the 3rd Press Museum in Turkey after İstanbul and Bursa. The museum also exhibits the memories of the important events and names such as the first computer of Uğur Mumcu and typewriter of Abdi İpekçi.

İzmir Mask Museum

1448 Street 22, Alsancak • Phone 232.465-3107 Being the first mask museum in Turkey, İzmir Mask Museum consists of three floors and is located in Alsancak district, İzmir. Cafeteria, lounge and souvenir sections exist on the ground floor. Ethnical mask hall exists on the first floor while the second floor comprises the sections of Anatolian anthology and tracers and the exhibition hall and atelier. You may see the theatre masks, ritual masks, masks of Indonesia and Australian Aborigines and the masks used by the tribes of the regions such as Africa on the first floor. Museum archive has 95 pieces of ethnical masks and 2 statues in total. In Anatolian Anthology Hall on the second floor, the masks and costumes of "Kalo Gagan" and "Kose Geli" which are still used in the ceremonies in Anatolia are exhibited. The costumes, masks and documentaries about this subject are presented to the visitors visually. Besides, there is death mask of Aziz Nesin in Museum.

İzmir State Art and Sculpture Museum

Kültürpark • Phone 232.484-8945 Including numerous books about the art and art history, the library of the museum is a very rich source for researchers and students. There are 530 works (419 paintings, 37 sculptures, 25 ceramics and 49 lithographs) in the museum. The collection contains works of the prominent artists of the various periods as well as the works of the great masters such as Şeker Ahmet Ali Paşa, Hoca Ali Rıza, Hikmet Onat and İbrahim Çallı and it is enriched day by day. The works which were created by a wide range of artists from old generation masters to contemporary artists and reflect various periods and trends are exhibited in the museum.

İzmir History and Art Museum

Kültürpark • Phone 232.445-6818 The museum comprises 3 section: Stone Works Section, Ceramic Works Section and Precious Works Section. In Stone Works Section, sculpture works of Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods and the plastic works related to architecture are exhibited. The heads and figurines discovered from İzmir Agora, Artemis - Poseidon – Demeter Relief, the sculpture of the River God Kaystros which is one of the prominent works of the Roman Period, the inscriptions found out in the construction of Basmane Station of İzmir Metro, various statues discovered from the upper floor in Metropolis Excavation, Metropolis Hall containing circle and rectangular altars, friezes of the Temple of Teos Dionysoss, reliefs of Miletus Theatre, heads from the Hellenistic and Roman Periods, reliefs of Belevi Monument Tomb, various heads and vowing stelas are exhibited. The antiques and ceramics which were discovered from Smyrna Topraklı Hill Town and Prehistorical settlements around İzmir and belong till the end of Byzantine Period can be seen. Furthermore, there are oil-lamps and figurines, glass works, bronze works, Treasure Room and coins from various periods in Precious Works Section.

İzmir Commercial History Museum

Atatürk Blvd. 126, Pasapor • Phone 232.498-4606 When we enter into the museum, a merchant ship model from the 1st century CA catches our eyes. Stowing styles of the amphoras used in carrying load in the ancient period are shown in the ship. In essence, this model divides the museum into two from the middle. In display windows of the museum where İzmir model belonging to the 17th century is exhibited, ceramics, terra-cotta figurines, oil-lamps, metal weights, seals and glass works from Prehistorical, Archaic, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantinian periods are displayed. The collection of electron, gold, silver and bronze coins are exhibited inside the windows in chronological order. Commercial history of İzmir from the first periods to Byzantine period, commercial roads and commercial marine trade routes connected to İzmir and the relevant items of ancient age are explained with the texts, photos, maps and drawings.

Joy and Comics Museum

Yüzbaşı Şerafettin Bey Street 9, Alsancak • Phone 232.465-3105 Joy and Comics Museum opened in 2010 for the purpose of evaluating the humorous accumulation of Turkey, particularly Mediterranean in visual field, keeping and protecting the outstanding samples, transferring them to the next generations and sharing them comprehensively from local context to universal context. The museum was so designed that people from all ages with a sense of humor can watch, enjoy and cheer up there. Library of the museum aims at contributing to researchers by offering documents about Turkish and world humor such as books, albums, catalogues, brochures, magazines, records and ephemeras. Our museum also keeps the works created by the leading artists of Turkey such as Eflatun Nuri and Güngör Kabakçıoğlu, and the samples of world comics in its archive.

Radio and Democracy Museum

967 Street 16, Altınpark Basmane • Phone 232.484-1483 In the museum giving service in a historical building which is located in historical Basmane district of Konak, and known as "the House with Ivy" because of the ivies covering the walls, the technological development of the radio comes to light subsequently, from past to present . On the other hand, democratic breakthrough process of Turkey is enlightened here. In music collection, 120 radios donated by the citizens are categorized according to their periods. Collecting radios and radio broadcastings since 1921, the museum is also equipped with records and pick-ups. You can listen to the speeches of the political leaders from the interactive radios of related periods. The archive includes the 10th year speech and assembly speeches of Atatürk, Yassıada defense of Adnan Menderes, court defense of Deniz Gezmiş in the room created for the period of 1964-1980 and coup speech of Kenan Evren.

Museum of Natural History

Ege Üniversitesi Kampüsü, Tabiat Tarihi Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi Bornova • Phone 232.388-2601 • Open to visit every day between the hours of 9.00-11.30 / 13.00-16.00. Having the structure of Natural History Application and Research Center, Museum of Natural History is the second natural history museum established in Turkey in terms of size and the first academic museum of Turkey which has the structure of university. Trying to present the mystery of nature to society with various boards and dioramas, Museum of Natural History aims at understanding, learning and questioning the evolution of our world which was formed 4.5 billion years ago.

TCDD Selçuk Çamlık Open Air Steam Locomotive Museum

Çamlık, Selçuk • Phone 232.894-8116 In TCDD Çamlık Open Air Steam Locomotive Museum which is the biggest in Europe in its own field, 36 steam locomotives that were made in Germany, England, France and United States between 1887 and 1952 are exhibited. Among them, there is a wood-powered locomotive with English origin, of which there are only two in the world. In addition to the wagon in which Atatürk travelled and a German locomotive made in 1943 which weighs 85 tons and was used by Hitler, there are motor water pumps, hydraulic presses, cranes, locomotive parts, the tools used in its repair, many flatcars and boxcars and the passenger wagons in the museum.

Tire Museum

Sanizade Meydanı 10, Tire • Phone 232.512-1860 • Open to visit every day, except Monday between the hours of 08.30-12.30/13.30-17.30. Being an archeology and ethnography museum, Tire Museum has precious works such as the silver coins produced in Tire Mint during the period of Ottoman Empire. In particular, engraved coins are highly regarded as precious among the coins from the Ottoman period. The coins produced in Tire have an important place among the prestigious collections of the world. The bordered engraving which is recorded with number 259 in the inventory register of the museum, designed with silver gold thread on black fabric and has the mark of "Es Sultan Orhan İbni Osman" is a remarkable work. Rice grains on which "Bismillahirrahmanirrahim" (Basmala) is written are regarded as the historical and interesting works in Tire Museum.

Ümran Baradan Play and Toys Museum

Halil Rıfat Paşa 31, Varyat • Phone 232.425-7513 Ümran Baradan Play and Toys Museum is the third example in its own field. The collections were firstly created by a ceramic artist from İzmir, Ümran Baradan who collected toys from various countries of the world. Then, the contributions of Sunay Akın and donations of several people were added. Within the museum, the activities such as Karagöz Hacivat Shadow-show, Tale Hour and Exhibition in the Museum are held. Besides, there is a sales stand named as "toys and souvenir shop" in the museum.

İzmir The Women’s Museum

1298 Sokak 14, Basmane • Phone 232.484-0481 İzmir The Women’s Museum was founded with the aim of reminding the forgotten past and strength of the Anatolian women of the whole world, revealing their creativity, supporting their self-confidence and creating a special place about their past. Since Anatolian woman from the Mother Goddess of Hittite, Greece and Rome to the woman of Byzantine, Seljuk, Ottoman and especially the Republic woman became a leading woman who always sticks to her knitting in her long history. What do we know about Anatolian Woman? How and Why the Mother Goddess showed up? What caused her to change her status? How was the Anatolian woman living in the Middle Age? Do we know the names and lives of the first artist, the first photographer, the first singer and the first theatre player of the Republic? We took the road to find the answer of all these questions and remind the real value of the Anatolian woman again. We’re telling the stories of the Anatolian women and calling you to listen these stories.

Zübeyde Hanım Naval Museum

Bearing the name of Atatürk’s mother, Zübeyde Hanım, the museum started to give service in Karşıyaka, İzmir in March, 2014 as an education center in the form of floating ship where the information about both the museum and navigation is given. The ship was constructed in 1987 on behalf of the City lines and transported passengers between two sides of Bosporus for long years. After fulfilling its duty, it anchored on Karşıyaka shore where the grave of Zübeyde Hanım exists. There are training hall and ateliers in the ship. The ship’s motors were renewed and all parts were controlled, so it may change location easily if requested.

Müziksev

Atatürk Caddesi 458, Alsancak (Across the Railway Station) • Phone 232.463-0300 • 232.482-1785 • 232.482-2381 • info@muziksev.org In Müziksev exhibiting the instruments which are common to Turks, the visitors find the opportunity of listening the sound of these instruments with the products of developed technology. It also contains a library in which valuable musical works, records, tapes and CDs and valuable musical notes and the musical books of the contemporary Turkish Composers are maintained and the youth getting musical education, researchers, musicologists and the community of the city showing an interest in music utilize from this library. Thus, the visitors can access the sound archive and take advantage of all kinds of records from performances of the famous artists to records of the important congresses and seminars, especially Cultural Congresses.

İzmir Railway Museum and Art Gallery

1464 Sokak 52, Alsancak • Phone 232.464-3131 The museum across Alsancak Railway Station comprises nine rooms and two halls. There are plates keeping the identities of the previously-used locomotives and wagons alive, the parts of steamed locomotive, action and road lamps, measuring instruments, office materials, the firstly-used phone systems and models of steamed locomotive in the museum. The museum is open to visit every weekday between the hours of 8.30 - 17.30.

Museums Route