Revenues rising at historical venues over the last 11 years

ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency

The Topkapı Palace Museum is the most visited place in the country.

Revenues obtained from museums and ancient sites around Turkey have increased hugely over the last 11 years, up from 299.2 million Turkish Liras to 26 million liras.

According to data from the Culture and Tourism Ministry, a total of 26.6 million people visited museums and ancient sites in Turkey last year.

The number of visitors was 7.4 million in 2002, up to 19.2 million in 2009, 25.9 million in 2010, 28.5 million in 2011, and 28.8 million in 2012. The Muzekart (Museum Card) scheme brought in just over 28 million liras for museums and ancient sites last year, while collective general tickets earned 114.3 million liras and sales through ticket offices brought in 156.9 million liras.

The most visited site in Turkey last year was the Topkapı Palace Museum in Istanbul, which hosted just under 3.8 million people.

The Topkapı Palace was followed by the Hagia Sophia Museum in Istanbul, which saw 3.3 million visitors, the Mevlana Museum, which saw 2 million people, the ancient site of Ephesus, which saw 1.8 million people and the ancient site of Hierapolis, which welcomed 1.7 million tourists.