Arts & Culture · 29 of the best in Istanbul
Pera Museum
The Tortoise Trainer and Orientalist art
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Shakko · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Pera Museum
The Pera Museum, on Meşrutiyet Caddesi, holds a celebrated collection of Orientalist paintings, including Osman Hamdi Bey’s The Tortoise Trainer, one of the best-loved paintings in Turkey, as well as Kütahya tiles and ceramics and Anatolian weights and measures. Its temporary exhibitions are among the best in the city.
Why it's on our list
- Osman Hamdi Bey’s The Tortoise Trainer
- Orientalist paintings
- Temporary exhibitions
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Pera Museum before you go.
What’s nearby
Distances from Pera Museum are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Nearest metro & tram stops
- OdakuleT250 m1 min walk
- Galatasaray LisesiT2300 m4 min walk
- TünelT2350 m4 min walk
Nearest taxi ranks
- Taxi rank650 m8 min walk
- Taxi rank, Şimşirci Sokağı750 m10 min walk
Key sights
- İstiklal Avenue300 mWalk 4 minCycle 1 minCar or taxi 4 min
- Galata Tower700 mWalk 9 minCycle 3 minCar or taxi 5 min
- Taksim Square1.0 kmWalk 13 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 6 min
- Galata Bridge1.3 kmWalk 17 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 7 min
- Spice Bazaar1.7 kmWalk 22 minCycle 7 minCar or taxi 8 min
- Süleymaniye Mosque2.0 kmWalk 25 minCycle 8 minCar or taxi 9 min
- Dolmabahçe Palace2.2 kmWalk 27 minCycle 9 minCar or taxi 10 min
- Grand Bazaar2.3 kmWalk 29 minCycle 9 minCar or taxi 10 min
- Topkapı Palace2.4 kmWalk 30 minCycle 9 minCar or taxi 10 min
- Basilica Cistern2.6 kmWalk 33 minCycle 10 minCar or taxi 11 min
Getting around
- Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW)32 kmCar or taxi 98 min
- Istanbul Airport (IST)33 kmCar or taxi 102 min