Madame Tussauds Istanbul is located in Beyoglu, one of the city’s most important tourist centers. You can find information about the history and collection of the museum in this article. Madame Tussauds Istanbul ticket price and opening hours are also noted.
The museum includes a variety of doppelganger wax sculptures of notable personages such as movie stars, musicians, politicians and scientists. Madame Tussauds helps its visitors feel close to these star figures.
It is good to state that the sculptures are prepared meticulously. For instance, in the preparation of the sculpture of Muslum Gurses, even the scars in his face after a traffic accident in 1978 were taken into consideration. Every sculpture is gone through a serious process of research before they are made.
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History of Madame Tussauds Museum
The history of Madame Tussauds Museum goes back to the 18th century. The museum takes its name from Marie Tussaud, one of the prominent wax artists of that period. As a pupil of Philippe Curtius, Marie made a name for herself with her wax sculptures in a short period of time.
Mary was so successful in her art that in 1780 she was invited to the palace to teach art lessons to the sister of King Louis XVI of France. However, after the French revolution took place, her career was interrupted and she had to draw death masks for use in guillotine executions.
This period of time in her life was an inspiration for her to get started a museum after she moved to London. She displayed her horrific memories of French Revolution by acting, in a gallery she opened in London.
After Madame Tussaud lost her life in 1850, the museum was run by her sons and grandchildren. In 1972, the second branch of the museum was opened in Amsterdam and after a while, other branches in Europe, Asia and America followed. Opened in 2016, Madame Tussauds Museum in Istanbul is 21th branch of the museum.
Madame Tussauds Istanbul Collection
Madame Tussauds Istanbul collection has both local and foreign celebrities. The museum has people who played an important role in World history, as well as names identified with popular culture.
There are 6 different sections in the museum categorized as Music, Science and Culture, Sports, VIP party, Leaders in History and Cinema. In these sections, you will see world famous figures, as well as characters that will help you get to know Turkish culture.
1. Music Section
As the name suggests, music section includes sculptures of famous musicians listened in Turkey and all around the world. There are a lot of sculptures from world-famous stars such as Rihanna, Madonna and Lady Gaga to popular Turkish musicians such as Zeki Muren and Baris Manco. Moreover, Mazhar-Fuat-Ozkan trio (MFO) appears exactly the same with their stage costumes and instruments from the 80s.
2. Science and Culture section
Sculptures of notable figures who shaped historical accumulation of humanity are located in Science and Culture section. It involves sculptures of scientists and artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Mozart, Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein and Yasar Kemal (Turkish author). Also, you can see the sculpture of Madame Marie Tussaud, the founder of the museum, in this section.
3. Sports Section
Sports section includes the sculptures of athletes who made their marks in branches like football, tennis and basketball. Rafael Nadal, Neymar, Lionel Messi and Maria Sharapova are some of the names that you can encounter in this section.
4. Vip Party Section
You can visit VIP Party section to join a party with other guest stars. This section includes the stars of cinema and television environment. Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt are some of the examples of Hollywood stars while Kivanc Tatlitug and Beren Saat shine out as the important figures of Turkish cinema.
5. Leaders in History Section
Leaders in History section includes sculptures of prominent figures who shaped the course of history. You can observe the sculptures of great leaders such as Mehmed the Conqueror and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk with the original-size and realistic details.
6. Cinema Section
If you are interested in cinema, you should definitely visit Cinema section that offers sculptures of famous actors, actresses and directors. This section includes the sculptors of actresses such as Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Jennifer Lawrence. You can see the sculpture of the famous director Steven Spielberg, as well.
Madame Tussauds Istanbul Ticket Price 2021
Madam Tussauds Istanbul ticket price is 62 Turkish Liras as of 2021. There is a discount on the entrance fee for children under the age of 14. Tickets come cheaper when you buy them online. If you buy tickets at the gate, you may have to pay 20% higher.
Ticket prices change frequently according to the season. As of February 3, 2021, when I last updated the article, ticket prices were as above. You can access the official website of the Istanbul Madame Tussauds Museum by clicking this link and check the current ticket prices.
Madame Tussauds Istanbul Opening Hours 2021
Madame Tussauds Istanbul opening hours are between 10:00 in the morning and 20:00 in the evening. However, the ticket office closes from 19:00 and no new visitors are received after this time. In addition, children under the age of 14 who have reduced admission status must enter the museum with an adult companion.
Visiting times of museums in Istanbul may change due to events and renovations. Before going to the museum, I suggest you visit the official website of the museum and review the latest situation.
How to Get to Madame Tussauds Istanbul?
In order to get to Madame Tussauds Istanbul, you need to go to Istiklal Street, one of the most central places in the city. The Grand Pera Mall, where the museum is located, is right in the middle of the 1.5-kilometer street stretching between Taksim Square and Galata Tower.
In order to go to Madame Tussauds Istanbul museum from Sultanahmet, you can take the T1 Tram to Kabatas and from there you can reach Taksim Square with the F1 Funicular connection. You can reach the museum with a 10-minute walk from the Taksim Square.
In order to go to Madame Tussauds Istanbul from the Asian Side, you can come to Karakoy by ferry. It is possible to reach Istiklal Street on foot from Karakoy, which is located at sea level. You can also see Galata Tower on the way.
Written by Serhat Engul
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