İstanbul Turbes Museum

Istanbul Turbes Museum Directorate, which is working under The Ministry Of Culture and Tourism established on 15 Februaray 1978 in order to carry out all kinds of services of the turbes (monumental tombs special to Turkish-Islamic culture) affiliated to our Ministry in Istanbul.

There are 122 turbes from several different regions of Istanbul bounded to Istanbul Turbes Museum Directorate. Among those turbes variety changes from turbes of companions of Prophet Muhammad like Eyüp Sultan, Ebu Şeybe el-Hudri to beloved religious leaders like Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi, Merkez Efendi, Yahya Efendi, Ya Vedud, Karacaahmed; from all the turbes of Ottoman Sultans burried in Istanbul like  Fatih Sultan Mehmed, Yavuz Sultan Selim, Kanuni Sultan Süleyman, Sultan II. Mahmud, Sultan I. Ahmed, to turbes of mother sultanas like Hatice Turhan Valide Sultan, Mihrişah Valide Sultan, Nakşidil Valide Sultan; from turbes of Ottoman capitan pashas like Kılıç Ali Paşa, Piyale Paşa, to turbes of Ottoman grand viziers like Sokullu Mehmed Paşa, Köprülü Mehmed Paşa and turbes of Ottoman pashas like Gazi Osman Paşa, Ferhat Paşa, Koca Sinan Paşa. Most of the turbes bounded to our museum are designed and built  by chief architects of the Ottoman Empire or the most famous architects of their time. All the phases of Ottoman Architecture can be seen at the turbes bounded to the Museum.

The collections of the Museum are extremely diverse. The collection consists of  Kaaba Curtains, Holy Kurans, Caligraphy Panels of Ottoman Sultans (very precious caligraphy panels signed by Sultan Abdülmecid Han and Mahmud the II) and Caligraphy Panels signed by famous caligraphs like Sami Efendi, İzzet Efendi, Hattat Rakım, Sacred relics like Holy Beard of Prophet Muhammed and personal belongings of religous leader like Aziz Mahmud Hüdâyî, Karaca Ahmed and Yahya Efendi. Thousands of unique historical objects are preserved for the next generations at the Museum. Some of these precious artifacts can be seen at their turbes like the coat of Yavuz Sultan Selim or Holy Footprint Of Prophet Muhammed (s.a.w.).