Madame Tussauds Istanbul Entrance Ticket

The last admission is 2 hours before closing time.

About Madame Tussauds Istanbul

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum Madame Tussauds is a wax sculpture museum headquartered in London. It has branches in twenty-four cities, including Amsterdam, Berlin, Hong Kong, Istanbul, New York, Sydney, and Tokyo. It was founded in England by the master of wax sculpture, Marie Tussaud (1761-1850). Madame Tussauds Istanbul is a major tourist attraction having the waxworks of famous and historical figures and popular film and television characters played by famous actors, successful sportspeople, and special artists. It was opened in Istanbul, Grand Pera on Istiklal Street, on November 28th, 2016, with 55 wax sculptures. Since then, the museum, which is called ‘Madame Tussauds Istanbul,’ has new names constantly being added to its wax sculpture collection. You can enjoy this extraordinary experience with Istanbul Tourist Pass. If you wonder about interesting places to visit in Istanbul like this, you may also have a look at the Museum Of Illusions Istanbul.

Marie Tussaud’s Life

Marie Tussaud was born as Marie Grosholtz in Strasbourg, France, in 1761. Her mother worked as a maid for Philippe Curtius, who was a physician skilled in wax modeling, in Bern, Switzerland. Marie Grosholtz started learning the art of wax modeling from Curtius when she was a child. 

Grosholtz created her first wax sculpture of Voltaire in 1777. When she was 17 years old, she became the art tutor to Madame Elizabeth at the Palace of Versailles. During the French Revolution, she made models of many prominent victims. She inherited Curtius's great collection of wax models following his death in 1794. Then she traveled around Europe with a touring show from the collection, for the next 33 years. She married Francois Tussaud in 1795 and changed her surname to his. She gave her show her new name, Madame Tussaud. 

Marie Tussaud had settled down in Baker Street and opened a museum in London, by 1835. The Chamber of Horrors was one of the main attractions of her museum. In the exhibition, there were sculptures of victims of the French Revolution and figures that she created newly, of murderers and other criminals. Some of the other famous people that were added were Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, Henry VIII, and Queen Victoria. 

Some of the sculptures that were made by Marie Tussaud herself still exist. The gallery originally contained approximately 400 different figures. The fire damage in 1925, coupled with German bombs in 1941, severely damaged most of such older models. 

After 250 Years of History, Madame Tussauds In Istanbul
Madame Tussauds Istanbul’s Group General Sarper Hilmi Suner states that there is a great effort behind the museum. First, a survey group was first set up while bringing the museum to Turkey. The questions of the survey were, 'Which artist do you want to see the most and which figure would make you the happiest?' A study was conducted. These were then examined in detail one by one and a list created. After the list, the survivors were contacted personally. The legal heirs or relatives of the deceased were contacted, and studies were initiated.

The preparations made with the survivors were made as a result of very detailed studies. Photoshooting was a grueling part that takes many hours, during which nearly 350 photos are taken. Many details such as eye colors, finger sizes, handprints are taken while those photos are being taken. After that, they are being implemented in the studios in London by Turkish sculptors and different sculptors from other countries.

Many archives can be accessed with the advantage of the 250-year history of the museum in the studies on the deceased, for example, apart from a few miniatures of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, and in the sources researched, there were some comments about his body size. Other than that, there were nothing and as a result of the deep researches, some sources were found. At the studio, the sculptors had to feel it while bringing it to life. So the team went to Konya. They watched the sema ritual and visited (Mevlana's) Tomb. After they felt it there and after understanding the spirit of the place, an extraordinary figure emerged.

Some figures emerged as a result of 4-7 months of work according to their dynamic and static nature. For instance, the construction of Suleiman the Magnificent scupture found 7-8 months. Why the construction phase takes so long is all about the details and the claim for perfection. 

Who To See In Madame Tussauds Istanbul
You can see one-to-one wax sculptures of your favorite famous people in Madame Tussauds Istanbul. By categories, these are:

Music:

Madonna
Beyoncé
MFÖ
Lady Gaga
Demi Lovato
Bob Marley
Zeki Müren
Müslüm Gürses
Aleyna Tilki
Murat Boz
Justin Bieber

Cinema:

Marilyn Monroe
Audrey Hepburn
Jennifer Lawrance
Steven Spielberg
Tom Cruise
Tarık Akan
Jackie Chan
Spider-Man
E.T.

Sportsmen:

Muhammed Ali
Maria Sharapova
Rafael Nadal
Lionel Messi
Hidayet Türkoğlu
Mesut Özil

Science & Culture:

Marie Tussaud
Albert Einstein
Leonardo da Vinci
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sabiha Gökçen
Steve Jobs
Yaşar Kemal

VIP Party:

Angelina Jolie
Brad Pitt
Johnny Depp
Julia Roberts
Leonardo DiCaprio
Beren Saat
Tolga Çevik
Kerem Bursin

History & Leaders:

Atatürk
Fatih Sultan Mehmed
Mimar Sinan
Tansu Çiller

Stars of the Middle East:

Nancy Airam
Maya Diab
Eile Saab
Carla Di Bello
Bin Baz