Museum numbers surge in Türkiye, TÜİK data show

ANKARA

Türkiye witnessed a notable surge in its museum and cultural heritage numbers in 2022, according to the latest data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK).

The report highlights significant growth in the number of museums, artworks, visitors and cultural properties, signaling a recovery in the cultural sector after the COVID-19 pandemic.

As per the TÜİK report, the number of museums increased by 6.4 percent compared to the previous year, reaching a total of 552 last year. Of these, 211 were affiliated with the Culture and Tourism Ministry, while 341 fell into the category of private museums. Additionally, there were 144 cultural ruins recorded in the country. 

The total number of artworks on display in these museums experienced a slight uptick, rising by 0.8 percent to reach 3.75 million items. Museums under the ministry accounted for 3.32 million of these artworks, with 88 percent of them cataloged. Private museums contributed 424,477 artworks to the national collection.

In terms of the types of works on display, 60.1 percent in ministry-affiliated museums consisted of coins, 27.5 percent were archaeological materials, 6.8 percent were ethnographic materials and 3.6 percent were tablets.

One of the most significant developments noted in the report was the remarkable increase in the number of visitors exploring museums and ruins, which surged by 97.1 percent in 2022, totaling 45.82 million.

Approximately 67.5 percent of these visitors chose to explore museums and ruins affiliated with the ministry, while the remaining 32.5 percent visited private museums and sites.

Paid visitors to ministry-affiliated museums and archaeological sites amounted to 17.79 million, accounting for 38.8 percent of the total visitors. This resulted in an income of 1.76 billion Turkish Liras ($65.57 million) generated from paid visits to these sites. The ministry also reported the sale of 2.93 million museum cards.

The data also indicated positive trends in the preservation of cultural heritage. The number of immovable cultural properties increased by 2.4 percent compared to the previous year, reaching a total of 122,124.

Istanbul led the provinces with the most immovable cultural assets at 33,479, followed by İzmir with 7,899 and Muğla with 4,896. Protected areas increased by 6.3 percent, totaling 23,632 sites, with a significant majority, 96.9 percent, being archaeological sites.

Moreover, Türkiye boasted 48 national parks in 2022, marking a 4.3 percent increase from the previous year. The total national park area also expanded slightly, growing by 0.3 percent to 911,204 hectares. There were 261 nature parks, with a 1.2 percent decrease in the total area to 108,332 hectares.

The number of nature reserves remained stable at 31, while the number of natural monuments decreased by 0.9 percent to 113.