Istanbul Museum of the History of Science and Technology

Istanbul Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam is part of the Müze İstanbul institution, which manages vast collections of historical and archaeological treasures in the former Constantinople. The city’s history is so rich, and the remnants of past centuries so numerous, that it comes as no surprise that some of the world’s largest museums are located in Istanbul.

The museum organization mentioned earlier continually expands its collections and, importantly, conduction research and excavations. It also strives to recover priceless artefacts that, under various circumstances, have left Turkey. The primary mission of Müze İstanbul, as their motto states, is to preserve Istanbul’s historical heritage and make it accessible to as many people as possible.

In the article below, I will tell you about one of the museums we visited during our recent trip to Istanbul. It is the Museum of Islamic Science and Technology, which showcases inventions and ideas developed in the Islamic world over several centuries.

Istanbul Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam

The initiator and founder of the Museum of the History of Islamic Science and Technology in Istanbul is Professor Fuat Sezgin, an Islamic historian and scholar. For years, he collected ancient devices and documents that tell the story of Islamic scientists and their inventions. Eventually, he succeeded in convincing the authorities of museum institutions to help create a place where the scientific achievements of Islam could be displayed and shared with people from around the world.

The museum was opened in 2008 and features scientific works, devices, and objects invented by Islamic scientists over many centuries. The oldest exhibits date back to the 9th century, while the most recent are from the late 16th century. The Museum of the History of Islamic Science and Technology in Istanbul consists of several sections, with exhibits divided by themes, including:

• Astronomy
• Clocks and time-keeping devices
• Military and warfare techniques and technologies
• Medicine and pharmacy
• Mining and metallurgical techniques
• Physics, mathematics, and geometry — the queens of all sciences
• Architecture
• Chemistry
• Optics

In addition to these sections, the museum also features a cinema room where documentary materials about the Museum of the History of Islamic Science and Technology in Istanbul and other museums. At specific times, films about scientific research conducted in the city are screened.

Istanbul Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam sightseeing

The Museum of the History of Islamic Science and Technology in Istanbul is housed in the former imperial stables, which once accommodated the finest horses. It is an unassuming and rather plain building, making it easy to miss. However, it stands within the beautiful and historic Gulhane Park, considered one of the oldest and largest parks in Istanbul, which borders the renowned Topkapi Palace. The grandest and most prominent gate of the palace is located within the park.

The first exhibit you’ll see upon entering the museum is Al-Jazari’s sundial. Al-Jazari was a Muslim inventor, engineer, mechanic, accomplished mathematician, and artist. He was a colourful and highly prolific figure. In his work, Al-Jami’ bayn al-‘ilm wa-al-‘amal al-nafi’ fi sina’at al-hiyal (The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices), he not only described dozens of mechanical devices but also provided detailed diagrams and instructions on how to construct them.

In this book, Al-Jazari, often referred to as the “Muslim Leonardo da Vinci,” included designs for siege machines, boats powered by screw propulsion, cranes, and clocks. Remarkably, this scientist lived in the 12th century, and many of the inventions he described only appeared centuries later.

The museum houses several hundred models of various devices and mechanisms, all constructed based on historical records and archaeological findings. Most of these models were crafted at the Institute for the History of Arab-Islamic Sciences at Goethe University in Frankfurt. Engineers and students who worked on these models relied on historical descriptions of the devices, though it is likely that some designs were reimagined, as many incorporate modern solutions.

The exhibits are arranged in several rooms and divided into thematic categories such as astronomy, mathematics, mechanics, medicine, and more. Alongside the device models, you will find drawings, documents (some original, other reproductions), as well as miniatures of buildings and entire palace and urban spaces.

Visiting the museum takes about 30 to 40 minutes unless you enjoy delving into every detail, in which case you could spend many hours here. Personally, I believe the museum is well worth a visit, especially when paired with the nearby Topkapi Palace and a stroll through the picturesque park.

The conclusion that emerges after visiting the Museum of the History of Islamic Science and Technology in Istanbul is that Islamic science once flourished and led among the cultures of its time. This began to change as religious authority strengthened in Arab countries, tightly intertwining faith, law, and science. There was increasingly less room for new ideas and concepts that might conflict with a literal interpretation of the Quran. A similar situation occurred in Europe during the Middle Ages, where science was under the domain of the Church, and gifted, talented individuals seeking to describe the world as they observed it were persecuted and even executed.

It wasn’t until the rise of secular authority and the Enlightenment that science experienced rapid development. There is even an old saying that aptly captures this: “Where there is too much God, there is no room for reason.”

Istanbul Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam practical information

Visiting the Museum of the History of Islamic Science and Technology in Istanbul is a great adventure, full of adventures and captivating stories. However, before you set off on this fascinating, scientific expedition, you need a ticket. Of course, you can pay for the museum tour at the ticket office, right before entering, but if you plan to visit other great museums in Istanbul, consider the Istanbul Museum PASS card. It allows you to discover the rich history of Istanbul by allowing free entry to most museums in the city, and also provides access to audio guides. Interestingly, by purchasing the card, you will receive free access to the internet thanks to the eSIM card.

The current ticket price for the Museum of the History of Islamic Science and Technology in Istanbul is 10 euros. I am not providing the price in local currency because, due to the rampant inflation in Turkey, prices in Turkish lira can change from day to day.

The museum is located at Cankurtaran, Taya Hatun Sk. Gülhane Parkı, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul in the beautiful Gulhane Park. It is a historical city park in the Fatih district, which is adjacent to the Topkapi Palace. Therefore, I recommend combining a visit to the museum and the palace.

The museum can be visited with a guide, you should ask about this at the ticket desk. Personally, I skipped the guide because the electronic audio guide works great and tells you about almost every object displayed in the display cases. Besides, the museum is not massive, so you can easily manage it yourself. Of course, walking through the museum halls with a guide has its advantages, so I leave the decision to you.

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