Free admission on Museum Day in Turkey

ISTANBUL

More than 30 museums in Turkey will open their doors free of charge until 11 p.m. to mark International Museum Day on May 18, the Culture and Tourism Ministry announced May 17.

The ministry said in a statement that the museums which will be open free tonight include the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in the southeastern province of Gaziantep; Istanbul’s Archeology Museum, Hagia Sophia Museum, and Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum; and the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara.      

Some private museums, including the Pera Museum and the Sabancı Museum in Istanbul, will also be free of charge.      

Admission to the Istanbul Naval Museum will also be free. The museum has also arranged visits for the children of Syrian refugees as well as orphans.  
   
The theme for 2016 International Museum Day is “Museums and Cultural Landscapes,” according to the International Council of Museums (ICOM), an umbrella group of museum professionals.      

ICOM said that around 35,000 museums in 145 countries participated in last year’s celebrations.

International Museum Day has been celebrated every year on May 18 since 1977. It is an occasion to raise awareness on how important museums are in the development of society.