Sakıp Sabancı Museum

Located in Emirgan, one of the oldest settlements along the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Sakıp Sabancı Museum (SSM) is housed in the historic “Atlı Köşk” (The Horse Mansion). The mansion was originally commissioned in 1925 by Prince Mehmed Ali Hassan of Egypt’s Khedivial family and designed by Italian architect Edoardo De Nari. Completed in 1927, it served as a summer residence for various members of the family for many years.

In 1951, Turkish industrialist Hacı Ömer Sabancı acquired the mansion along with some of its furnishings. He added a bronze horse sculpture by Louis Daumas—purchased at an auction in 1952—which later gave the mansion its name. A second horse sculpture on the grounds is a replica of one of the famous horses taken from Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade in 1204, now housed in Venice’s St. Mark’s Basilica.

Following his father’s passing, Sakıp Sabancı moved into the mansion in the 1970s and enriched the interior with his growing collection of Ottoman manuscripts, calligraphy, and late Ottoman and early Republican paintings. In 1998, the Sabancı family donated the mansion and its collections to Sabancı University for transformation into a museum.

Opened to the public in 2002 with the addition of a modern gallery wing, SSM expanded in 2005 to include enhanced exhibition spaces and state-of-the-art facilities. Today, the museum offers a multifaceted cultural experience through its permanent collection, internationally recognized temporary exhibitions, conservation lab, educational programs, and vibrant calendar of concerts, conferences, and seminars.