Istanbul Modern Museum
The Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Turkey’s first private museum to organize modern and contemporary art exhibitions, was founded in 2004 and occupies an 8,000 square meter site on the shores of the Bosphorus.
Istanbul Modern Museum is the big daddy of a slew of newish, privately funded art galleries in the city. Its stunning location on the shores of the Bosphorus and its extensive collection of Turkish 20th-century art make it well worth a visit. The icing on the cake is provided by a constantly changing and uniformly excellent program of exhibitions by local and international artists in the exhibition galleries on the ground floor. Istanbul Modern embraces a global vision to collect, preserve, exhibit and document works of modern and contemporary art and make them accessible to art lovers.
As part of its commitment to sharing Turkey’s artistic creativity with wide audiences and promoting its cultural identity in the international art world, Istanbul Modern hosts a broad array of interdisciplinary activities.
Apart from permanent and temporary exhibition galleries, a photography gallery, and spaces for educational and social programs, the museum offers a cinema, restaurant, design store and an extensive library.
There’s also a well-stocked gift shop, a cinema that shows art-house films and a stylish cafe-restaurant with superb views of the Bosphorus.
Istanbul Modern is in a prime location and is easy to get to on foot from Taksim Square (if you are prepared for a longer walk). Entry is 15 TL which is very reasonable for the size of the collection.
You could easily spend 3-4 hours here. The restaurant/bar overlooks the Bosphorus (when there is not a cruise ship parked in front of it !) and is a perfect place to grab a quick lunch or snack. Make sure to check out the museum gift shop great gifts not found in the rest of the city.
I visited the museum on my own while my husband was in a meeting. We always try to visit an art museum while traveling and this one did not disappoint. Close to public transport and very progressive. Just the right size – I think I spent 3 hours there.
Had lunch in their restaurant – excellent homemade pasta.
Great introduction to contemporary Turkish art, with detailed English descriptions. Took my time wandering around and, before I knew it, 2.5 hours had passed. No photos allowed.
Highly recommend a visit, it reflects a Turkey that is both modern, secular and to some extent ancient and Islamic.
We really enjoyed this museum. It has some very interesting and beautiful pieces with great information about the artists. There is a great balance of local and international artists. I think this is one of the best modern art museums I have visited and would recommend it highly.
Very good gallery (once you find it which can be difficult as it's tucked away near where the cruise ships dock ) – Very good turkish modern art & exhibitions – a large space
This museum is a little off the beaten path but a must see. The architecture and location on the Bosphorous are stunning. The art is contemporary and very good and the dining room is spectacular for coffee or a full meal. This was our favorite museum in Istanbul and worth a few hours.
The museum is pretty good, especially the videos, which were compelling. The highlight of the museum is the restaurant directly on the Bosphorous. The view is fabulous and the food is great. It is a perfect setting. We went on a rainy day and it was a perfect way to spend a couple of hours.
This gallery was excellent. Full of really interesting Turkish pieces, I could have spent double the amount of time here. I had only 1.5 hours, but you should budget at least 2. There are two floors with lots of gallery rooms and don't miss the hallway to the library with all of the suspended books.
The Istanbul Modern Art Museum is a gem. We could barely tear ourselves away. We spent 2-3 hours. The Erol Akyavas – Retrospective was fabulous.
This a museum of Modern Art. It has some interesting pieces and some very thought provoking works. I enjoyed the museum but it may not be to everyone's taste. We went on a Thursday evening. It stays open until 20h00 on Thursdays. As mentioned by other reviewers some of the multimedia works are unusual and thought provoking.