The Rahmi M. Koç Museum is situated on the northern shore of the Golden Horn bay in Istanbul. I would classify this exhibition area among the most fascinating non-historical displays in the city: the museum is undoubtedly enjoyable for both children and adults, and its remarkable exhibits provide more than enough to spend an entire day exploring.
How to get to the museum
There are no metro stations near the museum, but the 'Halıcıoğlu' metrobus stop is located a 15-minute walk from the entrance. Planning your route is convenient using online maps; however, I recommend planning it to walk along the waterfront to the museum, as the shorter route through the residential area passes through a large hill.
Near the entrance, there is the 'Hasköy' pier; ferries do not run here very often, so it's better to check their schedule online in advance.
The entrance fee to the museum is 300 Turkish liras (as of April 2023).
A bit of history
The vast collection of the museum began with a single toy electric train given to a little boy named Rahmi Koç. The boy grew up, became a businessman, headed a major corporation, and decided to open an amazing museum. The creator of the collection is now 92 years old and ranks 1267th on the list of global millionaires.
The first building for the exhibition was purchased in 1991, and three years later, the museum opened its doors to visitors. A couple of years later, the Hasköy shipyard, built at the end of the 19th century, became part of the exhibition complex. The collection is considered Turkey's first industrial museum.
Sometimes this exhibition space is referred to as a transportation museum. The foundation of the collection consists of various modes of transportation: cars, boats, trams, motorcycles, bicycles, and even trains. There is also an unusual collection of items, such as a collection of baby strollers. Some exhibits are accessible to visitors: guests can take photos in an open-top car or walk through the interior of an airplane. By the Bosphorus shore, there is a submarine, but it was closed during my visit.
Not all exhibits arrive at the museum in good condition; a special workshop was created for their restoration. The collection is constantly growing, including through gifts from visitors.
The exhibition space covers an area of 28,000 square meters. The museum has three branches in other cities, including the capital of Turkey, Ankara.
I took so many photos after visiting this amazing place that I decided to split this article into two parts. Read the continuation of the story about the walk through the museum in this article.
Have a nice trip!
