The Darphane-i Amire, the former Ottoman imperial mint inside the first courtyard of Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace, will open to visitors on Saturday, Oct. 24, with five new museums after a seven-year restoration, state news agency Anadolu reported on Tuesday.
The complex covers about 17,000 square metres and contains 17 buildings. More than 10,000 objects will go on display in museums dedicated to calligraphy, porcelain, weapons, industrial history and maps.
The project is run by the National Palaces Administration (Milli Saraylar), the state body attached to the Presidency that manages Ottoman palaces and pavilions in Istanbul and elsewhere.
From imperial mint to museum quarter
Construction at the site dates back to 1727, and the complex took its current form after expansion under Sultan Mahmud II in the early 19th century. For generations it was the centre of Ottoman coin production.
The complex was transferred to the National Palaces Administration in 2019, after which restoration began under a scientific board. The administration’s head, Yasin Yıldız, told Anadolu that some buildings had fallen into such neglect that they were close to being lost as historic heritage.
The five museums
- Calligraphy Museum: about 12 halls and roughly 2,000 works, including pieces by leading Ottoman and Turkish calligraphers.
- Porcelain Museum: 19 halls displaying around 5,300 pieces of Chinese, European and domestic porcelain.
- Imperial Arsenal Museum (Esliha-i Hümayun): about 2,500 weapons, including arms belonging to Ottoman sultans and statesmen, alongside examples from other civilisations.
- Mint Museum: about 500 restored industrial objects from the Industrial Revolution era, some displayed together with parts of the original buildings.
- Map Museum: six galleries in the complex’s first building, showing about 110 historical maps.
The complex also includes two galleries for temporary exhibitions, a National Palaces research centre and the Topkapı Palace Library, which is nearing completion and will house and display the palace’s manuscript collection.
The report did not say whether the new museums will require a separate ticket or be included in the Topkapı Palace admission. Entry prices at major state-run sites are set to change next year, as outlined in our report on museum fees for 2027.
The opening adds to a series of restoration projects in the historic peninsula, including work at the neighbouring Istanbul Archaeological Museums and the Tiled Kiosk, which sit just below the palace walls. Istanbul’s Ottoman and Byzantine heritage is also the subject of a major exhibition at London’s V&A opening in November.
For more on the city, see our guide to living in Istanbul.
Sources
Photo: Premeditated / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
