The Istanbul Military Museum (Askerî Müze ve Kültür Sitesi), in Harbiye in the Şişli district, tells the story of Turkish military history from the 13th century to the present day: weapons, armour, Ottoman campaign tents, standards, and halls devoted to the conquest of Constantinople and the Gallipoli campaign. It occupies the former Ottoman military academy, the Mekteb-i Harbiye, where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk studied from 1899 to 1905. It is best known for the concerts of the mehter band, the military music of the Janissaries. Please note: the museum has been closed to the public since 1 June 2026 for restoration and strengthening work, and no reopening date has been announced.
Highlights
The mehter band
Heir to the music of the Janissaries, the Ottoman band plays in period costume with bass drums (davul), kettledrums (kös and nakkare), shawms (zurna) and cymbals. Abolished in 1826 along with the Janissary corps, it was revived in 1911 on the initiative of the military museum's director, then re-established in 1953 for the 500th anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople. It now reports to the Ministry of National Defence and, before the closure, played in the 500-seat amphitheatre in the museum's courtyard.
The former military academy
The building was put up from 1841 by the architect Garabed Balyan. Atatürk trained here as an officer; after the academy moved to Ankara in 1936, it housed other army services, was restored from 1966 and opened as a museum on 10 February 1993. One room recalls Atatürk's years at the academy.
The collections
The galleries follow the history of the Turkish army from the Seljuks to the Republic: halls on the founding of the Ottoman Empire, the conquest of Istanbul and Gallipoli, dioramas, maps, weapons from many countries, Janissary uniforms and furniture made from weapons. Cannons, aircraft and helicopters stand in the gardens.
A museum born in Hagia Irene
After the conquest of 1453, the church of [Hagia Irene](/fr/attractions/sainte-irene-istanbul) served as an arsenal, the Cebehane. Marshal Ahmed Fethi Pasha founded the first weapons collection open to the public there in 1846, regarded as the beginning of Turkish museology. The collection left Hagia Irene during the Second World War before settling in Harbiye.
The 2026 closure
According to the Turkish Ministry of Culture's museums portal, the museum has been closed since 1 June 2026 for a full restoration of the historic building. During summer 2026, the band gave free concerts for visitors to Dolmabahçe Palace (Tuesdays), Topkapı Palace (Wednesdays) and Yıldız Palace (Thursdays) at 11am; this programme ended on 30 September 2026.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Before setting off, check the museum's official website and the Ministry of Culture's museums portal to see whether a reopening date has been announced: as of 1 October 2026 none had been, and the pre-closure prices and concert times no longer apply. Ticket resale sites sometimes still show old opening hours. To see the band in the meantime, watch for announcements from the National Palaces (Milli Saraylar), which hosted its concerts in 2026; it also plays at official ceremonies. The area combines well with [Nişantaşı](/fr/attractions/nisantasi-istanbul), just to the north, [İstiklal Avenue](/fr/attractions/avenue-istiklal) south of Taksim, and [Dolmabahçe Palace](/fr/attractions/palais-de-dolmabahce), downhill towards the Bosphorus. Information checked in October 2026.
How to get there
Valikonağı Caddesi, Harbiye, 34367 Şişli, Istanbul, on Cumhuriyet Avenue (Cumhuriyet Caddesi). Metro M2, Osmanbey station, then a few minutes' walk south. On foot from Taksim Square, heading north up Cumhuriyet Avenue. İETT buses, Harbiye Askeri Müze stop. Route details: [Getting around Istanbul](/fr/articles/transports-istanbul).
Opening hours
Nearby
Comments
No comments yet.