Rahmi M Koc Museum, Istanbul

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The "Rahmi M. Koc Museum" is a private industrial museum in Istanbul, dedicated to history of transport, industry and communications.

Rahmi M. Koc, member of the wealthiest dynasty in Turkey and retired boss of the Koç Group, founded the museum in 1991, which was opened on December 13, 1994. The museum is located in the suburb of Hasköy on the north shore of the Golden Horn and situated in two historical buildings connected to each other.

It is open to public every day except Monday from 10.00 to 17.00, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 19:00.

The Rahmi M. Koç Museum is located in the anchor-casting workshop at the docks on the north side of Haliç (Golden Horn), an area that symbolized industrialization in the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. It includes a new, largely underground, building as well as the historical 'foundry' (Lengerhane) on the southwest part of site. The two buildings are connected to each other by a glass-sided slope. The foundry is thought to be built on Byzantine foundations dating from the 12th century. There is documentary evidence that the building was used for casting anchors and their chains during the rule of Ahmet III (1703-1730) and restored during the reign of Selim III (1789-1807) and was then used by consecutive finance ministries of the Ottoman Empire and Turkish Republic until 1951.

Then it was handed over to the State Monopoly & Tobacco Factory in Cibali and was used for the storage of alcohol. The roof sustained serious fire damage in 1984 and afterward the building was left in ruins. In 1991 the M.Rahmi Koç Foundation for Culture and Museums bought and restored it.

Most of the items exhibited are selected from Mr. Rahmi Koç's private collection. Other objects are either borrowed from, or donated by, various organizations and individuals. Original machines and their replicas, scientific and mechanical items make up the basis of the museum's exhibits. “2001 Art & Cultural Reward” went to Rahmi Koç Müzesi.

Motors and steam engines are displayed on the first floor while the scientific instruments and communication apparatuses are exhibited on the second floor. The entrance is reserved for the aircraft department, mint machinery for printing banknotes and coins, bicycles and motorcycles, the naval department and ship engines. In the open area, there is a coast guard lifeboat, a tram, a narrow gauge steam train, and a vertical steam boiler.

When you complete your visit don't forget to take a break at the Barbarossa Pub, Halat Restaurant or Café du Levant. Café du Levant serves the finest French cuisine in an authentically Parisian brasserie atmosphere. Halat Restaurant serves outstanding Mediterranean food, complemented by a wide choice of local and imported wines. Barbarossa is a re-created English Pub and furnished with authentic antiques from the personal collection of Mr. Rahmi Koç. They are closed on Mondays as it is the day the museum is also closed.

"Public Bus Routes" which ypu can reach the Museum ... :

47 Eminönü – Yeşilpınar
47E Eminönü – Binevler
47Ç Eminönü – Güzeltepe
47N Eminönü – Nur Sitesi
54HT Hasköy – Taksim – Mecidiyeköy
54HŞ Hasköy – Şişli – Taksim
36T Taksim – Cebeci

Enjoy ... :)

I very much enjoyed visiting this museum. It has a good and well-displayed collection, and the journey there involved a riverbus ride, always pleasant. It has to be said that its not very Turkish: most of the exhibits are of European or American origin (such as the sectioned engine from a 1943 US destroyer sold to the Turkish navy and shortly therafter destroyed by a Sparrowhawk fired in error by a US aircraft.)

There's a fine assortment of machinery of all kinds. As an ex-Londoner I particularly liked the Routemaster bus: other highlights for me were the Velocette LE motorcycle (as ridden by English policemen in the sixties) and the Pitts Special stunt biplane hanging up inside: impressively tiny. Going round the submarine they have costs a little bit more and is done on a timed entry system because submarines are so cramped: gave that a miss.

An unexpectedly moving exhibit is the corpse of a B-26 Mitchell which took part in the raid on the Ploesti oil refinery. Crippled by flak, the machine was forced to ditch off the Turkish coast. Most of the crew survived and were rescued by Turkish fishermen and many years later one of the aircrew returned to the place: there is a very touching photo of him and the man who had rescued him together.

And part of the museum is housed in an old byzantine building as a bonus.

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The Rahmi M Koç Museum is the first major museum in Turkey dedicated to the history of Transport, Industry and Communications. Housed in magnificent buildings - themselves prime examples of industrial archaeology - on the shore of the historic Golden Horn, the collection contains thousands of items from gramophone needles to full size ships and aircraft.
The entire Museum (with the exception of certain outdoor objects such as aircraft, the submarine and trains) is fully accessible by wheelchair. Baby changing facilities are provided near the entrance, and WC seat adapters and steps for young children are available on request
open everyday except monday 10.00-17:00

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The Rahmi M. Koc Museum is such a fantastic museum. We passed by on the way to Miniaturk and saw planes, trains, etc. outside. We decided to stop on the way back to see what this place was and were so glad we did. What a surprise this museum was. It's all about the history of technology including transportation, industry, and communications. There are literally thousands of objects on display - everything has been restored perfectly. It is beautifully set up as well.

Some of the exhibit areas include: Various kinds of engines, scientific instruments, computers, toys, navigation, agriculture, olive oil factory, sawmill, living history shops (watchmaker, blacksmith, etc.), etc., etc.

There is a wonderful transportation exhibit of automobiles, bicycles, carriages, and motorcycles. (Do press the button to hear a Harley roar!) The boats inside (love the displays of figureheads) were really interesting - beautiful crafts.

The hand-on exhibits were fascinating. My favorites were the cutaway car where you could see the whole engine working and a dishwasher and vacuum where you could see the inner workings.

Outside the aircrafts, trains, and boats floating on the Golden Horn were very also interesting (love the tug!). There was also a submarine (extra entrance charge).

The museum also has a tearoom, restaurant, and museum shop.

I highly recommend visiting this museum. Allow at least a couple of hours to wander around.

Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Saturday - Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Closed Mondays

Admission:

Adult 10 TL

Student 5 TL

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By the cost of Goldern Horn there was an old shipyard in Haskoy and backyard of the
old shipyard there was a LENGERHANE (anchor making house) an old stone building were standing on 1980's.Rahmi KOc bougth those old ruined buildings and made an industrial museum.Must see place for everyone.

The Rahmi M Koç Museum is the first major museum in Turkey dedicated to the history of Transport, Industry and Communications. Housed in magnificent buildings - themselves prime examples of industrial archaeology - on the shore of the historic Golden Horn, the collection contains thousands of items from gramophone needles to full size ships and aircraft.

The location is unrivalled - romantic, historic, convenient to both the Old City and the new. And the appeal is universal: objects that affect our daily lives, created by talented engineers and craftsmen, encapsulating man's ingenuity and hard work yet at the same time exhibiting great beauty.

The museum educates, informs, and entertains tens of thousands of adults and children each year. Please do explore our website now for a taste of what we have on show… but better still, come and visit us soon!

To learn more about visiting the museum please view our Visiting page now: to explore some of our exhibits or discover the highlights of the collection go to our Exhibits section. Click here to find out more about our many opportunities for shopping and refreshment, or visit the Corporate & Commercial page for details of our facilities for events such as weddings, seminars, conferences, product launches.

Kids love our Hands-On gallery. Where else can you climb all over a vintage car, sit in the cockpit of a real plane and try the controls, or try real-life scientific experiments? And if that is not enough, come at the weekend and join some of our special activities, or let our resident science teacher explain basic scientific principles using our many experimental models…

When visiting, don't forget to take a break at the Museum Tearoom, Museum Shop, Barbarossa Pub, or Halat Restaurant. Decorated in the style of the Museum, and showing many items from our collection, they are open during normal opening hours, plus Halat and Barbarossa are open 'till late every night except Monday. Suggestion: come late in the afternoon on a Saturday or Sunday, and then when the Museum closes at 7 o'clock, drop into Barbarossa Pub for a drink before dinner on the shores of the Golden Horn at Halat Restaurant… perfect!

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Fantastic if you like all things mechanical,boats,cars,trains,guns and engines.Airplane,sub and now a London Routemaster bus.Bar and cafe on site so you can take a leisurely day to look around.
The tour around the sub was great.
Open Tuesday-Friday 10.00-17.00 Weekends 10.00-19.00
I'll be going back if only for more pictures as my battery died on me last time.

The Rahmi M Koç Museum is the first major museum in Turkey dedicated to the history of Transport, Industry and Communications. Housed in magnificent buildings - themselves prime examples of industrial archaeology - on the shore of the historic Golden Horn, the collection contains thousands of items from gramophone needles to full size ships and aircraft.

The location is unrivalled - romantic, historic, convenient to both the Old City and the new. And the appeal is universal: objects that affect our daily lives, created by talented engineers and craftsmen, encapsulating man's ingenuity and hard work yet at the same time exhibiting great beauty.

Little but nice museum where you can see cars, steam machines, planes and outside you can see this submarine as well.
It's open everyday except Monday from 9am till 5pm