• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • ABOUT Istanbul Clues
  • CONTACT

Istanbul Clues

Istanbul Tour Guide

  • CLUES
  • ACTIVITIES
  • ACCOMMODATION
  • BOSPHORUS
  • FOOD-DRINK
  • HISTORY
  • GETTING AROUND
  • THINGS TO DO
  • OLD CITY
  • PRIVATE TOURS
  • MUSEUMS
  • MOSQUES
  • SHOPPING
  • CAPPADOCIA
  • EPHESUS
  • ABOUT TURKEY

Pera Museum Entrance Fee & Hours (Updated → 2024)

2 December 2023 by Serhat Engül

Pera Museum is the hidden gem of Beyoglu district. It is located on Mesrutiyet Street, which runs parallel to Istiklal Avenue, the most popular walking street of Istanbul. You can find information about the history of Pera Museum in this article. In addition, Pera Museum entrance fee and opening hours are also noted.

Extending from Taksim Square to Galata Tower, Istiklal Avenue is one of the city’s most touristic places. You can see attractive shops on this street, experience local food and have a good time in boutique cafes.

If you want to get away from the crowd of Istiklal Avenue and have some rest, you can go to Mesrutiyet Street, which stands out with its nostalgic atmosphere. Mesrutiyet Street has historical buildings from the 19th century, the high-end restaurant Mikla and the hidden gem Pera Museum.

Table of Contents

Toggle
  • History of the Pera Museum
  • Meet Osman Hamdi Bey
  • Pera Museum Collections
    • 1. Anatolian Weights and Measures Collection
    • 2. Kutahya Tiles and Ceramics Collection
    • 3. Oriental Painting Collection
    • 4. Photography Collection
    • 5. Pera Film
  • Pera Museum Entrance Fee 2024
  • Pera Museum Opening Hours 2024
  • How to Get to The Pera Museum?
  • Conclusion

History of the Pera Museum

Pera Museum in Beyoglu, Istanbul

The history of the Pera Museum goes back to 2005. Although it is a relatively new museum, its collections date back to the Ottoman period. In addition, the building in which Pera Museum is located gives us many clues about the history of the Beyoglu district.

Beyoglu is the place where the architectural breakthrough in Istanbul in the 19th century manifested itself most. Beyoglu, known as Pera during the Ottoman period, was the neighborhood where passengers from Orient Express came to stay.

The last station of Orient Express coming from Paris was Sirkeci Train Station in Old Istanbul. However, there were no luxury hotels in the Historical Peninsula, which had a traditional style. Hotels with European architecture were opened in Pera (today’s Mesrutiyet Street) for the rich customers of Orient Express.

The Pera Palace and the Grand Hotel De Londres, which were opened here during this period, are still standing. The Pera Museum was founded with the restoration of one of these hotels, the Bristol Hotel.

The museum was founded by the Suna and Inan Kirac Foundation, which belongs to one of Istanbul’s oldest families. This foundation has contributed to many projects for education and culture in Turkey.

Meet Osman Hamdi Bey

Pera Museum Tortoise Trainer

Istanbul Archeology Museum has one of the world’s largest archeology collections. The person who brought these magnificent works together was Osman Hamdi Bey, one of the Ottoman period bureaucrats.

With the initiatives of Osman Hamdi Bey, the first archaeological museum of Istanbul was established in the 19th century. The museum was first operating inside Hagia Irene, an old church. Later, a beautiful building with remarkable Neo-Classical architecture was built to move the museum.

Osman Hamdi Bey was also one of the most important painters of the Ottoman period. Osman Hamdi Bey’s world-famous Tortoise Trainer painting and 19th century orientalist paintings are among the most important works of Pera Museum.

Pera Museum Collections

Pera Museum’s collection offers excellent tips for those who want to learn the history of Turkey. The weight measures used in the Ottoman period, ancient Turkish tiles and orientalist paintings promise you a fascinating experience.

Pera Cafe and Artshop are located on the ground floor of the museum. There are permanent exhibitions on the first and second floors and multi-purpose exhibition halls on the upper floors. The basement is used as an auditorium for film screenings and interviews.

1. Anatolian Weights and Measures Collection

Measuring Instruments in Ottoman history

Anatolian Weights and Measures Collection provides you with information about the Ottoman period in which different measurement units from Europe were used. This collection is spread over most of the first floor. Various weighing and measuring instruments used in Anatolia since ancient times are exhibited.

2. Kutahya Tiles and Ceramics Collection

Kutahya Tiles in Ottoman history

Kutahya Tiles and Ceramics Collection is also on the first floor of the museum. By reviewing this collection, you can get historical information about the development of the art of pottery in Kutahya (a city in Central Anatolia). Kutahya Tiles are the continuation of Iznik Tiles, which adorned palaces and mosques in the peak period of the Ottoman Empire.

3. Oriental Painting Collection

Pera Museum Painting Collection

Oriental Painting Collection includes works by European painters inspired by Ottoman life between the 17th and 20th centuries. The most rare works of this collection are the paintings of Osman Hamdi Bey.

His paintings are among the most expensive paintings sold in international auctions. The most important work of Osman Hamdi Bey, the Turtle Trainer is exhibited in this section of the museum.

4. Photography Collection

Pera Museum Modern Art Exhibition

Photography Collection is also one of the most impressive parts of the museum. In this section, the works of photographers such as Caranza, Robertson, Kargopoulo, Abdullah Brothers, Gulmez Brothers and Ali Enis Oza are exhibited.

The most important feature of the photography section is that it takes you on a journey through the history of Istanbul. This nostalgic collection introduces us to an Istanbul that we can no longer see today.

5. Pera Film

Pera Museum Photography

Pera Film makes various screenings for visitors in an auditorium in the basement of the museum. The films complement the experience of the museum, as they offer a parallel content with the subjects of temporary exhibitions.

Pera Museum Entrance Fee 2024

Pera Museum entrance fee is 100 Turkish Lira per person as of 2024. The price is reduced to 50 Turkish Liras for children under 12 years, for students and for adults over 60 years old. The information on the ticket price was last updated on December 2, 2023.

Pera Museum Opening Hours 2024

Pera Museum opening hours are between 10:00 am and 7:00 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. On Sunday the opening time is 12:00 in the midday and the closing time is 6:00 in the evening.

Fridays are a public day and the Pera Museum can be visited free of charge between 18:00 and 22:00. Please also note that the museum is closed on Mondays. Information on visiting hours was last updated on December 2, 2023.

Although we update the blog every 6 months, we may miss some changes. So you can check the latest status on the official website of the museum before visiting this place.

How to Get to The Pera Museum?

19th Century Bristol Hotel is Pera Museum today

In order to get to Pera Museum, you can first go to Istiklal Street. If you take the Church of St Anthony of Padua, the most famous church on Istiklal Street, behind you, you can easily find the Pera Museum by passing through the passage called “Odakule”.

Pera Museum is located in an area called Tepebasi next to the easily visible TRT (state television studios) building. The museum is easy to find, as it is also within walking distance of well-known buildings such as the Pera Palace and the British Consulate.

You can reach the museum on foot from Istanbul’s tourist attractions such as Galata Tower and Taksim Square. For those who want to reach the museum by Metro, Sishane Metro Station is a very short walk from the museum.

Conclusion

Although Pera Museum is one of the relatively young museums in Istanbul, it has earned a solid place among the best museums in Istanbul thanks to its excellent art collections and easy location.

If you visit Pera Museum in Istanbul and like it, I recommend other museums in the same category. Among them, Rahmi Koc Museum in Haskoy (Golden Horn shores) and Sakip Sabanci Museum in Emirgan (Bosphorus shores) are particularly recommended.

If you want to learn more about the museums in Istanbul, you can find dozens of similar articles in the Museums of Istanbul category of this site. Nearly 40 museums are introduced under this category.

Written by Serhat Engul

Filed Under: MUSEUMS Tagged With: Museums of Istanbul

blank

About Serhat Engül

Hello explorer of Istanbul! This is Serhat Engul. I am a licensed TOUR GUIDE IN ISTANBUL. I offer PRIVATE HALF DAY TOUR which includes a visit to the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Basilica Cistern and the Spice Bazaar. This is a fantastic option to see some of the ICONIC LANDMARKS in the whole of Istanbul and you’ll receive plenty of background information on each location to enlighten you. You may see the details of this tour on the HOMEPAGE of the blog. I wish you a wonderful trip!

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Istanbul Clues on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Private Guided Tours

blankHello, I'm Serhat Engul. I am a licensed tour guide operating in Istanbul. I do walking tours in Istanbul focusing on Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history. If you want to join a private guided tour in Istanbul, you can check out my references and tours from ABOUT page. Read More…

Footer

Istanbul Travel Guide

Istanbul Clues travel guide is designed to introduce you to the history, museums, restaurants and culture of istanbul.

Private Tour Guide in Istanbul

Author of this blog, Serhat Engul, is a licensed tour guide based in Istanbul.

Recent

  • The Forum of Constantine in Istanbul today
  • History of Church of St Polyeuctus (Istanbul)
  • Stoudios Monastery (now Imrahor Mosque in Istanbul)
  • Hagia Theodosia Church (Gul Mosque) in Istanbul
  • Best Wine Shops & Bars in Istanbul (Updated 2025)

Powered by Reborn Travel Agency

blank

© 2015–2025 All Rights Reserved • Privary Policy