Sadberk Hanım Museum: Archaeology and Ottoman Arts in Sarıyer
The Sadberk Hanım Museum is Turkey's first private museum. Founded on 14 October 1980 by the Vehbi Koç Foundation in memory of Sadberk Koç, the wife of businessman Vehbi Koç, it occupies two wooden houses in the Büyükdere district of Sarıyer, on the European shore of the Bosphorus. It holds about 20,000 objects: archaeological pieces from the 6th millennium BCE to the Byzantine period, and Turkish and Islamic arts (ceramics, textiles, costumes, calligraphy). It is a quiet visit far from Sultanahmet, best combined with a walk through the Bosphorus villages. Allow one to one and a half hours. Good to know before you go: in October 2026 the official website says the Turkish-Islamic arts section (calligraphy, textiles, costumes) is temporarily closed to visitors. Check what is open at sadberkhanimmuzesi.org.tr or by phone on +90 212 242 38 13 before making the trip.
Highlights
The wooden Bosphorus houses
The museum is set in 19th-century wooden yalı and villas; the restoration of the first one, the Azaryan Yalısı, was designed by the architect Sedat Hakkı Eldem in the late 1970s. The garden and the façade alone are worth a stop.
The ancient mosaics
The archaeological section shows mosaics, reliefs and objects from Anatolia, such as this mosaic with two figures. The museum's labels are the best source for the origin and date of each piece.
Anatolian idols and bronzes
The archaeology display cases show figurines, bronze idols, quivers and jewellery from the Bronze and Iron Ages. This is the most dependable part of the visit, even when the Ottoman rooms are closed.
Practical info
Tips
Prices from the official website in October 2026: 450 TL full price, 100 TL for students, 300 TL for Museum Pass Istanbul holders (a reduced rate; the pass does not give free entry). Free for children under 7, teachers, guides, visitors aged 65 and over, visitors with disabilities and ICOM members. The museum is closed on Wednesdays, on 1 January and on the first day of religious holidays. For other Islamic and Ottoman collections, see the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts and the Archaeological Museums, both in the old city; the Museum Pass is explained in our guide.
How to get there
Piyasa Caddesi, Büyükdere, Sarıyer, Istanbul (European shore of the Bosphorus). There is no metro station nearby: from Levent (metro M2) or Beşiktaş, take a bus or taxi along the Bosphorus road, and check the day's route in a transit app; allow 45 to 75 minutes from Sultanahmet. The road passes the villages described in our guide to the Bosphorus villages, European shore.
Opening hours
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