İstanbul Adalar Museum

Adalar Museum is located on Büyükada, part of the Adalar (Princes’ Islands) district of Istanbul, Türkiye. It was opened on 10 September 2010 with the support of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency. The museum is recognized as Istanbul’s first contemporary city museum.

Established through the cooperation of the Adalar Foundation and the Adalar Municipality, the museum is situated in the Aya Nikola area, the oldest historical settlement on the southern part of Büyükada (Prinkipo). The main building, which hosts the museum’s permanent exhibitions, is a renovated former helicopter hangar adapted for museum use.

The museum presents the story of the Princes’ Islands, from their geological formation to the present day, through a rich collection consisting of thousands of Ottoman archival documents, photographs, hundreds of documentary films, video clips documenting contemporary island life, documents obtained from the archives of public institutions operating on the islands, oral history recordings, and items donated by local residents.

Mission
While introducing the multicultural history and values of the Islands, the museum aims to preserve the social life enriched by their historical, cultural, and natural heritage and to increase interest in the Princes’ Islands.

Museum Buildings
Located on Büyükada, the largest of the Princes’ Islands in terms of both population and surface area, the museum consists of two separate exhibition spaces:
Çınar Museum Area (open-air exhibitions)
Aya Nikola Hangar Museum Area (permanent exhibition)

Sections of the Permanent Exhibition
Chronology
The Princes’ Islands in 10 Minutes
Nature of the Islands
First Traces of Human Presence
Early Settlements
Architecture, Architects, and Gardens
Education
Literature
Trade
Leisure and Entertainment
Migration and Population
Traditions and Rituals
Food and Drink
Transportation & Communication
Sports
Music
Islanders
Local Government
Natural Disasters
Health
Sounds of the Islands
Urban Development
The Princes’ Islands on Maps
Future Scenarios