Deniz Müzesi

Lonely Planet review

Though this museum is picturesquely situated on the Bosphorus shore, most landlubbers (including us) find it just a tad dull. Still, those of the naval persuasion will no doubt feel like dropping an anchor here for an hour or so. Though the Ottoman Empire is most remembered for its conquests on land, its maritime power was equally impressive.

During the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent (r 1520-66), the eastern Mediterranean was virtually an Ottoman recreational lake. The sultan's navies cut a swathe in the Indian Ocean as well. Sea power was instrumental in the conquests of the Aegean coasts and islands, Egypt and North Africa. Discipline, logistics and good ship design contributed to Ottoman victories.

The museum's prize exhibits are the sleek and swift imperial caïques in which the sultan would speed up and down the Bosphorus from palace to palace. These boats are over 30m in length but only 2m wide. With 13 banks of oars, the caïques were the speed boats of their day. Those with latticework screens were for the imperial women.

You may also be curious to see a replica of the Map of Piri Reis, an early Ottoman map (1513), which purports to show the coasts and continents of the New World. It's assumed that Piri Reis (Captain Piri) got hold of the work of Columbus for his map. The original map is in Topkapı Palace.

There's an outdoor display of cannons (including Selim the Grim's 21-tonne monster) and a statue of Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa (1483-1546), the famous Turkish admiral known also as Barbarossa who conquered North Africa for Süleyman the Magnificent. The admiral's tomb, designed by Sinan, is in the square opposite the museum.