Sadberk Hanim Museum is a place to be visited by those who want to spend a nice day on the Bosphorus shore, away from the crowds of the city. Serving in one of the most beautiful mansions of the Bosphorus, the museum offers its visitors nostalgic moments.
One of the most enjoyable things to do in Istanbul on weekends is to have breakfast by the Bosphorus. After having breakfast at Rumeli Hisari, you can enjoy nature by walking along the Bosphorus shore and stop by this museum to spice up your day with some culture and art.
Sadberk Hanim Museum is located in Sariyer, one of the most beautiful districts of the Bosphorus. In this article, you can find information about the history and artifacts of the museum. In addition, Sadberk Hanim Museum entrance fee and visiting hours are also noted.
History of Sadberk Hanim Museum
The history of Sadberk Hanim Museum dates back to 1980. Azaryan Mansion, which houses the museum, is a very elegant historical building dating back to the 19th century.
After the Azaryan Mansion was bought by the Koc family in 1950, it was used as a summer house for a while. The mansion, which was later decided to be converted into a museum, was restored between 1978 and 1980.
The reason why the building was turned into a museum was that Vehbi Koc, the most senior member of the Koc family, wanted to keep the memory of his wife Sadberk Koc alive.
Traditional clothes, embroideries, silver and porcelain items from Sadberk Koc’s personal collection began to be exhibited in the museum for the first time.
Managed by the Vehbi Koc Foundation, the museum expanded its collection in the following years. The museum, which was opened with approximately 3000 works, has become a place where more than 20.000 works are exhibited today.
With the development of tourism in the 2000s, many museums were opened in Istanbul. Among these museums opened by Turkey’s leading families, Sadberk Hanim Museum took its place in history as the “first private museum in Turkey”.
In the early years of the museum, the collections were exhibited in a single section under the name of “Turkish-Islamic Artifacts”. However, since 1983, very important archaeological remains have been added to the museum.
After the death of Huseyin Kocabas, one of Turkey’s most important collectors, the archaeological artifacts he had collected were donated to the Sadberk Hanim Museum.
Another mansion was purchased and restored to create extra room for archaeological artifacts in the museum. This additional museum building, known as the Sevgi Gonul Building, exhibits these archaeological artifacts under the name of “Huseyin Kocabas Collection” today.
Things to See in Sadberk Hanim Museum
Things to see in the Sadberk Hanim Museum are basically divided into two parts. The first of these is the Turkish-Islamic Artifacts exhibited in the Azaryan Mansion, and the second is the Archaeological Artifacts exhibited in the Sevgi Gonul Building.
The main collection of the museum, which belongs to Sadberk Koc, contains many details about Turkish history. For this reason, we will be examining this section under 3 separate headings in the following lines.
1. Turkish and Islamic Arts
The Turkish-Islamic Arts collection includes objects from the periods of Early Islam, Seljuk, Eyyubi, Mamluk, Timur and Safavid states and can be seen in chronological order. In this part of the museum, you can see mother-of-pearl inlaid and carved woodwork, carpets and rugs, traditional clothes and old coins.
In the continuation of the exhibition, silver and tombak artifacts from the Ottoman Empire period can be seen. The subjects of coffee offering, henna night, puerperium, Turkish bath and circumcision ceremony, which symbolize the customs of the Ottoman period, are introduced to the visitors with wax sculptures.
If you would be interested in this part of the museum, I recommend you to visit the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum located in Sultanahmet. Because that museum conveys these issues in more detail.
2. Iznik Tiles
Iznik Tiles collection symbolizes the development of Iznik ceramic art from the end of the 15th century to the middle of the 17th century.
Afterwards, there is a separate showcase where Kutahya and Canakkale ceramics are exhibited. The ceramics in this section introduce the art of ceramics between the 18th and 20th centuries.
The reason why I opened a separate title for the ceramic collection is that it represents two different periods of the Ottoman Empire.
During the rise of the Ottoman Empire, Iznik Tiles adorned all mosques, palaces and tombs built with “Classical Architecture”.
The “Classical Period”, which started with the conquest of Istanbul and reached its peak when Mimar Sinan was the palace architect, was famous for its blue colored Iznik tiles.
In the later periods of the Ottoman Empire, Iznik tile workshops lost their importance and were replaced by Kutahya Tiles. Although pottery was an important part of Ottoman architecture, it lost its feature of decoration with the effect of Westernization.
3. Chinese Porcelains
At first glance, the Chinese Porcelains collection does not seem to be related to Turkish-Islamic Arts. However, these priceless artifacts from China have a very important place in Turkish history.
During the times of both the Seljuk Empire and the Ottoman Empire, the Turks had control over the important crossroads of the Silk Road from China to Europe. For this reason, there was a trade relationship with China since the early periods of Turkish history.
Especially in the early periods of the Ottoman Empire, Chinese porcelain was used extensively. In this way, one of the world’s most distinguished Chinese porcelain exhibitions is located in the “Palace Kitchens” section of Topkapi Palace.
In time, the Turks established their own tile workshops and the Iznik tiles, which we mentioned in the previous title, emerged. However, Chinese porcelain also had a great impact on the development of Turkish ceramic art.
One of the most beautiful aspects of Sadberk Hanim Museum is that it offers its visitors the chance to see two different tile traditions together. So you can see the interaction between cultures with your own eyes.
4. Archaeological Collections
The Archaeological Collections contain objects that reflect the cultures of many civilizations from 6000 BC to the Byzantine Empire period.
In this exhibition at the Sevgi Gonul Building; It is possible to see terracotta or metal vessels, religious symbols, glass works, coins, ornaments and tablets.
Sadberk Hanim Museum Entrance Fee 2025
Sadberk Hanim Museum entrance fee is 350 Turkish Lira as of 2025. Discounted ticket price for Istanbul Museum Pass holders is 250 Turkish Lira. The information on the ticket price was last updated on January 29, 2025.
Due to post-pandemic inflation, ticket prices for museums in Istanbul can change very often. For this reason, please check the official page of the museum that I shared in the following lines.
Sadberk Hanim Museum Opening Hours 2025
Sadberk Hanim Museum opening hours are between 10:00 in the morning and 17:00 in the evening as of 2025. Please also note that the museum is closed on Wednesdays. Information on visiting hours was last updated on January 29, 2025.
The visiting hours of the museums in Istanbul may change depending on the 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 The Museum?
Sadberk Hanim Museum is located on the shores of the Bosphorus, in Sariyer district. Located on Piyasa Street in Buyukdere Neighborhood, the museum is in a very central location.
In order to go to the museum from Sultanahmet, you can first come to Kabatas by tram and then take the buses going in the direction of Sariyer. In order to go to the museum from Taksim Square, you can take the buses that go in the direction of Sarıyer.
The closest bus stops to the museum are “Buyukdere Mahallesi” and “Beyaz Park” bus stops. Both stations are located on the shores of the Bosphorus and are a 5-minute walk from the museum.
Written by Serhat Engul
Leave a Reply