Following the proclamation of the Republic, Turkish museums developed considerably, mainly due to the importance Atatürk had attached to the research and exhibition of artifacts of Anatolia. When the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed, there were only the İstanbul Archaeology Museum called the "Asar-ı Atika Müzesi", the Istanbul Military Museum housed in the St. Irene Church, the Islamic Museum (Evkaf-ı Islamiye Müzesi) in the Suleymaniye Complex in Istanbul and the smaller museums of the Ottoman Empire Museum (Müze-i Humayun) in a few large cities of Anatolia.
The Turkish Archaeological Museum (Türk Asar-ı Atikası), which was established during the first years of the Republic, carried out studies to gather, collate, catalogue and protect archaeological and ethnographical finds. In many provinces of Anatolia, monumental buildings such as ancient churches, mosques and caravanserais were restored and converted into museums. Topkapı Palace, which was converted into a museum with the furniture and works of art on the premises, was opened to the public in 1927. The same year, the Islamic Museum was reorganized as the "Museum of Turkish and Islamic Works of Art" and the Mevlana Dervish Lodge in Konya was also converted into a museum.
The construction of the Ankara Ethnographical Museum, the first building designed as a museum, was completed in 1930. New museums were established in Bursa, Adana, Manisa, İzmir, Kayseri, Antalya, Afyon, Bergama, and Edirne. The Hittite Museum, which was established in the Mahmut Pasha Bedesten in Ankara in 1940, was restored and renovated and converted into "Museum of Anatolian Civilizations" in 1968.
Today, there are 99 museum directorates attached to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 151 private museums in 36 provinces and 1,204 private collections.
List of museums
Adana
Adana Archaeological Museum Adana Cinema Museum Adana Ethnography Museum Atatürk Museum Misis Mosaic Museum
Adıyaman Adıyaman Archaeological Museum
Afyonkarahisar Afyonkarahisar Archaeological Museum Victory Museum Atatürk's House (Şuhut)
Aksaray Aksaray Museum
Amasya Museum Amasya Museum
Ankara
Antalya
Alanya Archaeological Museum Antalya Museum Atatürk's House Museum (Antalya)
Artvin Dikyamaç Museum
Aydın Aydın Archaeological Museum Fatma Suat Orhon Museum, Söke Kuşadası Necati Korkmaz Museum of Micro Miniatures Nazilli Museum of Ethnography
Balıkesir Balıkesir National Struggle Museum Burhaniye National Forces Culture Museum Tahtakuşlar Ethnography Museum
Bartın Amasra Museum
Batman Batman Museum Hasankeyf Cultural Park
Bayburt Baksı Museum
Bilecik Bilecik Museum Söğüt Ertuğrul Gazi Museum
Bolu Bolu Museum
Burdur Burdur Archaeological Museum
Bursa Bursa Archaeological Museum Bursa Atatürk Museum Bursa Energy Museum Bursa Forestry Museum Bursa Karagöz Museum Bursa Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art Iznik Çini Museum Iznik Museum Mudanya Armistice House
Çanakkale
Adatepe Olive Oil Museum Archaeological Museum of Çanakkale Ceramics Museum of Çanakkale Troy Museum
Çankırı
Çankırı Museum Ferit Akalın Radio and Communications Museum
Denizli Denizli Museum
Diyarbakır Ahmet Arif Literature Museum Library Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı Museum Diyarbakır Museum Ziya Gökalp Museum
Düzce
Konuralp Museum
Edirne Edirne Museum
Elazığ Elazığ Archaeology and Ethnography Museum
Erzincan Ali Demirsoy Natural History Museum
Eskişehir Eskişehir Aviation Museum Eskişehir Caricature Museum Eskişehir Museum Eskişehir Meerschaum Museum Eskişehir Wax Museum İnönü Military Quarter and War Museum M.S.Ö. Air & Space Museum Museum of Independence, Eskişehir Museum of Modern Glass Art, Eskişehir Museum of woodworking Tülomsaş Museum
Gaziantep
Gaziantep Mevlevi Culture and Foundation Works Museums Gaziantep Museum of Archaeology Zeugma Mosaic Museum
Giresun Giresun Museum
Hatay
Hatay Archaeology Museum İskenderun Naval Museum
Isparta Isparta Museum
Iğdır
Iğdır Genocide Memorial and Museum
İstanbul
İzmir Ahmed Adnan Saygun Arts Center Avrasya Anı Evi (Eurasia Memorial House) Bergama Museum Çamlık Railway Museum Çeşme Museum Natural History Museum of Ege University İzmir Archaeological Museum İzmir Atatürk Museum İnciraltı Sea Museum İzmir Art and Sculpture Museum İzmir Ethnography Museum İzmir Toy Museum Ödemiş Museum Tire City Museum
Kahramanmaraş Kahramanmaraş Archaeology Museum Kahramanmaraş Liberation Museum
Karaman Karaman Museum
Karabük Karabük Kardemir Iron-Steel Museum
Kars Boğatepe Cheese Museum Kars Museum
Kastamonu Kastamonu Ethnography Museum
Kayseri Kayseri Archaeology Museum
Kırıkkale Kırıkkale MKE Weapons Industry Museum
Kırşehir Kırşehir Museum
Kilis Kilis Museum
Kocaeli Kocaeli Museum SEKA Paper Museum Osman Hamdi Bey Museum
Konya
Akşehir Museum Ereğli Museum Konya Archaeological Museum Konya Ethnography Museum Mevlana Museum Sahip Ata Museum
Kütahya Kütahya Archaeological Museum
Malatya Camera Museum Malatya Museum
Manisa Akhisar Museum Manisa Archaeological Museum
Mardin Mardin Museum Midyat Filigree Museum
Mersin
Muğla Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archeology Marmaris Archeological Museum Milas Museum Muğla Museum Zeki Müren Art Museum, Bodrum
Nevşehir Nevşehir Museum
Niğde Niğde Archaeological Museum
Ordu Ordu Ethnographical Museum
Osmaniye Karatepe-Aslantaş Open-Air Museum Osmaniye City Museum
Rize Rize Atatürk Museum
Sakarya Sakarya Museum
Samsun Alaçam Exchange Museum Samsun Atatürk Museum
Sinop Sinop Museum
Sivas
Sivas Congress and Ethnography Museum
Şanlıurfa Şanlıurfa Archaeology and Mosaic Museum
Tekirdağ Kutman Wine Museum Namık Kemal House Museum Rákóczi Museum Tekirdağ Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography
Tokat Tokat Museum
Trabzon
Hagia Sophia, Trabzon Trabzon Museum Sumela Monastery
Uşak Uşak Museum of Archaeology
Yozgat Yozgat Museum
See also List of Intangible Cultural Heritage elements in Turkey
References