İş Bankası Museum (Türkiye İş Bankası Müzesi) in Istanbul: opening hours and visit
The Türkiye İş Bankası Museum (Türkiye İş Bankası Müzesi) occupies the former Istanbul Post Office building, built in 1892, in Hobyar between Eminönü and Sirkeci. The bank set up a branch there in 1927, which operated until 2004; after restoration, the building opened as a museum in November 2007. The two-floor display traces the history of the bank and of the country's economic life through documents, photographs, films and old office machines; in the basement, the original vaults can be visited. Admission is free and the visit takes about an hour. The museum is closed on Mondays.
Highlights
The 1892 building
Built as Istanbul's main post office by the architect Yovan Kastoryadis, the building has kept the look of a 19th-century public building. It stands a short walk from Eminönü.
The exhibition rooms
On the ground floor, the permanent exhibition tells the story of the bank's founding and growth; upstairs, it deals with technological change, with typewriters, calculators and other period office equipment.
The vaults
In the basement, the vaults and safes used from 1928 to 2004 are preserved as they were.
Temporary exhibitions
The ground floor also hosts temporary exhibitions; their programme is published by İş Sanat, which runs the museum.
Practical info
Tips
- Admission is free (noted in October 2026, from the bank's official website and İş Sanat). The museum is closed on Mondays, on 1 January, on 1 May and on the first day of Ramadan and of the religious holidays; check the day's hours before you come. The area has no parking and vehicle traffic is restricted from 10:00 to 20:00: come on foot or by public transport. Combine the visit with the New Mosque, the Egyptian Bazaar and Sirkeci Station; see also our guide to the Eminönü and Sirkeci district and the list of free museums in Istanbul.
How to get there
Hobyar Mahallesi, Bankacılar Sokağı No. 2, Eminönü, Fatih, Istanbul. The museum is within walking distance of the Eminönü and Sirkeci ferry piers, the T1 tram stops (Eminönü, Sirkeci) and the bus stations. Line details: Transport in Istanbul.
Opening hours
Nearby
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