Ankara Palas Museum welcomes visitors
ANKARA
Ankara Palas, which was converted into a museum while preserving its original structure by the National Palaces Administration, continues to welcome art enthusiasts in its first year since opening.
The 96-year-old Ankara Palas building, completed by Ahmet Kemaleddin Bey, one of the important representatives of the First National Architectural Movement, began service in 1928. The magnificent building is one that has witnessed the history of Türkiye.
The building, which was operated under the Foundations Administration until 1975 and used as an office and exhibition area by the Industry and Trade Ministry between 1976 and 1982, was transferred to the National Palaces Presidency in 2018 and the largest restoration in its history was initiated the next year.
A landmark of the Republican era, Ankara Palas Museum was inaugurated on Feb. 21, 2024. Since then, the museum, representing the modern face of the newly established Republic, has hosted 209,210 visitors.
Following its restoration, enrichment of its collection, and furnishing in accordance with modern exhibition standards, Ankara Palas Museum remains a key cultural destination. Spanning an indoor area of nearly 1,000 square meters, the museum features five halls and nearly 1,200 artifacts, offering a significant space for art and cultural heritage.
Located in Ankara’s Ulus district, directly across from the second Parliament Building, Ankara Palas Museum attracts considerable interest due to its accessibility. The "Ankara Palas Conferences," organized monthly by National Palaces, are among the key events contributing to the museum’s high visitor numbers.
Bringing together artifacts from the Ottoman and Republican periods, Ankara Palas highlights historical continuity. In addition to select pieces from the 16th to 19th centuries, the museum showcases objects used by Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, preserving traces of the early Republic.
The collection also features works by pioneering Turkish portrait painters of the Republican era, including İbrahim Çallı and Feyhaman Duran.
Open Daily Except Mondays
The museum’s walls are adorned with historic clocks, offering visitors a journey through time. European-made silverware, once used in Ottoman palaces and Ankara Palas, is among the museum's most striking exhibits.
The works exhibited in the museum are presented to visitors under the following headings: Paintings, Clocks, Technological Tools, Silverware, Tableware, Manuscripts and Printed Works, Items Used by Atatürk, Atatürk and Ankara Palace, War Objects, Diplomatic Gifts, Hereke Weavings, Beykoz Glasses, Yıldız Porcelains, Medals and Orders, Seals and Coins and selections from the Treasury Collection.
One of the museum’s unique sections is a selection of manuscripts and printed works from Caliph Abdülmecid Efendi’s Library, alongside personal belongings of Atatürk.
Described by Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as a "window opening from East to West," Ankara Palas Museum is open to visitors every day except Monday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
An audio guide service at the entrance provides detailed information about the exhibits.
