School Trip | Harbiye Military Museum

Harbiye Military Museum is located within the borders of Istanbul province, in the Mecidiyeköy neighborhood of the Şişli district. The museum is on Valikonağı Street.

To go to the museum, the tram can be used. You can reach the museum by taking the Fındıklı tram line. In addition, the funicular can also be used to get to the museum. The funicular stop closest to the museum is the Taksim funicular stop. Another way to get to the museum is by metro. The closest stop to the museum is the Şişli Metro stop.

History of Harbiye Military Museum
The Harbiye Military Museum building is located inside the Military Academy, which was built by Abdülhamit II in 1862. After the Ottoman Empire conquered Istanbul, the Hagia Irene Church began to be used as an armory. Valuable weapons, along with military equipment, began to be stored here. During the reforms carried out in the period of Ahmed III, its name was changed to Dar-ül Esliha, meaning the house of weapons. Dar-ül Esliha was no longer just a place where valuable weapons were stored, and weapons also began to be exhibited here. Dar-ül Esliha became a full-fledged museum in 1846. When Ahmet Fethi Pasha was the inspector of the arsenal, he turned this place into a full exhibition area, and the collections began to be known by the name Müze-i Humayun.

The museum operated in Hagia Irene until 1940. During World War II, it was decided to move these artifacts to Anatolia so that they would not be damaged. The weapons stored in the Maçka Armory until 1949 were brought back to Istanbul in 1949. In 1959, the Harbiye Military School Gymnasium was no longer sufficient for these weapons. In 1964, it was decided to make the Mekteb-i Harbiye building a museum for weapons. This building was restored by Prof. Dr. Nezih Eldem, one of the well-known architects of our country. After the restoration, the museum was reopened to visitors on February 10, 1993.

Artifacts of Harbiye Military Museum
The museum has many sections that can be visited. New sections have also been added to the museum since 2000. In the exhibition hall of the museum, there are paintings made by the students of the Harbiye military school, which can compete in beauty with the works of professional painters. Medals and trophies won from sports events at the military school are also exhibited in this museum. Many of Atatürk's belongings, soldiers' uniforms, lecterns, weapons, and tables are also exhibited within the museum.

Harbiye Military Museum has a very old history. Its foundations date back to around the 15th century. Because it contains so many artifacts, some of them were taken to the Çinili Pavilion. Later, the Istanbul Archaeology Museum was opened with these artifacts.

The first artifacts of the Harbiye Military Museum were initially opened to visitors in Hagia Irene. In the periods when World War II began, the museum had to suspend its activities. When the risk of war ended, the museum resumed operations and was restored in 1966.

TOUR PROGRAM
10.00 Departure from School
11.00 Arrival at Harbiye Museum
14.00 Departure from Harbiye Museum to the School
15.00 Arrival at School