More private museums than state museums in Turkey

ANKARA

Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk’s ‘Museum of Innocence’ is among the 46 private museums in Istanbul.

The number of private museums in Turkey has exceeded the number of state museums for the first time.

According to information provided by the Cultural Heritages and Museums General Directorate, there are 192 museums affiliated with the Culture and Tourism Ministry, while the number of private museums has risen to 193.

The number of private museums was 89 in 2000 and reached 108 in 2007 and continued to increase every year after 2007, reaching 124 (2008), 139 (2009), 146 (2010), 157 (2011), 174 (2012), 184 (2013) and 193 this year.

In parallel to this increase, the number of visitors rose from 5.5 million in 2011 to 8 million in 2012.
Archaeological and ethnographic works are generally displayed in the museums affiliated with the ministry, while private museums display a wide range of artifacts from the arts to cuisine, agriculture and the media.

Istanbul takes the lead in the number of private museums with 46, followed by Ankara with 32 museums and İzmir with 14 museums.

Meanwhile, the overall number of private museums in 41 Turkish provinces, including Bursa, Gaziantep, Çanakkale, Kütahya, Eskişehir, Balıkesir and Aydın has increased.