Naval Museum – Historical Boats Gallery

The Naval Museum was established in 1897 with the permission of Sultan Abdulhamid II and under the directives of the Minister of the Navy, Bozcaadalı Hasan Hüsnü Pasha, under the name “Museum and Library Administration” in a small building located within the Imperial Shipyard (Tersane-i Amire). Due to the changing conditions of the times, the museum operated in various locations over the years and was eventually relocated in 1961 to its current premises in Beşiktaş, formerly used as a finance building. It began operating under the name “Directorate of the Naval Museum and Archives.”

Adjacent to the Main Exhibition Building stands a structure originally built in the early 20th century. This building, which was previously used as an aircraft hangar, boat repair workshop, and garage, was later allocated to the museum. Following several modifications, it was repurposed in 1971 as the “Historical Boats Gallery,” where galleys and imperial caiques from the museum collection were preserved and displayed.

Due to the building not being originally designed as a museum and lacking sufficient space, a national architectural design competition was launched in 2005 to address these issues. The tender for the new museum building was finalized in 2008, and construction began in line with contemporary museological standards. The new complex consists of the Main Exhibition Building, the Historical Boats Gallery, a Cultural Center, and Open Exhibition Areas.

To ensure the preservation of the historical boats during construction, a temporary storage facility was built, and the boats were transferred there in 2009. Restoration work was completed in 2013, and the Historical Boats Gallery was officially reopened to visitors on October 4, 2013.