Topkapı Palace
The sultans’ palace on Sarayburnu: courtyards, the Imperial Council, the treasury and the terraces over the water. Dated entry, sold online on its own site.
Kastamonu Museum
An ashlar-stone building of 1910 in Kastamonu, now a museum of finds from the Paleolithic to the late Ottoman era, including Hittite and Roman pieces.
About the museum
The museum building went up in 1910 as the Kastamonu branch of the Committee of Union and Progress, to a plan by architect Kemalettin Bey and built entirely of cut stone. From the 1940s it stored archaeological finds gathered across Kastamonu and neighbouring provinces, and since 1952 it has been open to visitors as a museum.
The displays run from the Paleolithic to the late Ottoman period. One highlight is a gemstone portraying the Roman empress Agrippina the Younger, found in the Türbe Tepe tumuli in Cide. Other pieces include a bronze cup and tripod dating back to about 2000 BC from the Kulaksızlar Dam excavations in the village of Kınık, and the Taprammi bowl, inscribed in Hittite hieroglyphs (about 1450 to 1180 BC).
Leave time for the garden as well, where large stone works are shown, among them a Roman sarcophagus decorated with garlands.
Tips
- Pair the visit with the Livapaşa Mansion Ethnography Museum, also in Kastamonu, for a look at both archaeology and traditional life.
- Check the official page for current hours before you go.
Questions
When is Kastamonu Museum open?
According to the Ministry’s listing it opens at 08:30 and closes at 17:30 (last entry 17:00). Open every day.
Can I buy tickets for Kastamonu Museum on this site?
No. This site sells no tickets. Topkapı Palace, the Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia and Dolmabahçe Palace are sold on our sister sites; for Kastamonu Museum, buy at the ticket office or on the Ministry’s official e-ticket system.
Where is Kastamonu Museum?
Kastamonu Museum is in Kastamonu, Türkiye — İsfendiyar Mahallesi, Cumhuriyet Caddesi, No:68.
Istanbul tickets online
Four Istanbul landmarks, each sold on its own site by the agency behind this guide — dated entry and free cancellation up to 24 hours.
Basilica Cistern
Justinian’s great underground reservoir: 336 columns in still water and the two Medusa heads. Fast-track entry with a digital audio guide.
Hagia Sophia
Justinian’s cathedral, the sultans’ mosque and a working mosque again today. The ticket admits you to the upper visitor gallery.
Dolmabahçe Palace
A nineteenth-century palace on the water’s edge: the Selamlık, the Ceremonial Hall under its chandelier, the crystal staircase and the Harem.