Salt Galata was designed by the Levantine architect Alexandre Vallaury for the Ottoman Bank and opened its doors in 1892. Over the course of time, the building underwent many changes and alterations. During recent restoration work, the building was stripped of the later additions that threatened its original character and refitted according to its current needs.

Located in Salt Galata, the Ottoman Bank Museum is the first museum in Turkey to be founded by a private bank. Opened in 2002, the objects and documents exhibited are designed to reflect the central role the bank played in the history of the late Ottoman and early Republican periods.

As well as the Ottoman Bank Museum there is Salt Research, where one can find both printed and digital sources on the Ottoman Bank and related topics, a 219 person capacity auditorium, widely attended and admired workshops, the Open Archive, various exhibitions spaces, and a cafe and restaurant.