Inaugurated in 2004, this converted warehouse, directly on the Golden Horn, is Turkey’s first museum of contemporary and modern art—although in a city that can trace its roots to the late Mycenaean era, “modern” is a relative term, and the collection includes painters from the late 1800s. There’s a permanent collection of well-known and up-and-coming Turkish artists, and there’s usually an interesting temporary exhibit or two. It also houses a cinema that specializes in films (not movies) that only serious cinephiles (or deeply pretentious wannabes) would ever dream of seeing. 

Insider Tip: Instead of eating at the overpriced museum café, stroll down the street after your visit to one of the hookah, or nargile, cafés in Tophane for gözleme (filled savory pastries), apple tea, and perhaps a game of backgammon.

Source: Travel + Leisure