SALT GALATA

               Salt Galata is a multi-purposed museum that hosts exhibitions, conferences, performances, movie screenings and workshops. It is located in Karakoy neighbourhood of Beyoglu, Istanbul. The museum is very popular and is visited frequently since the demand for art is very high right now. Also, this region of Istanbul itself is almost the most popular one therefore is very crowded especially on weekends. If this is your first time in Istanbul and want to discover about the approach on art and experience a qualified and rooted art museum this one is recommended for you.  

The building of the museum was first built in 1892 by a French architect to function as an Ottoman bank. It makes a statement with the neoclassic and orientalist architectural tones on the back and the front. It is a unique construction in Istanbul and is directly noticed on your first step to the street. It was converted to a museum, in 2002, that exhibits what’s remaining from the time it was a bank. Then in 2009 it was closed down and restored. The building has been the home for Salt Galata Istanbul since 2011. The building itself is worth seeing because it is a representative of 19^th century architecture but it is also a great place to spend time in with its café and library. If you are into art, this museum is art itself. It is different from any other museum you will see in Istanbul. Salt Galata library is the most modern one in Istanbul. Right at the entrance there is a café/restaurant where you can eat and drink, and it has an amazing view.
The best part of the museum is that it is free. Salt Galata opening hours and closing hours are Tuesdays and Saturdays from 12.00 to 20.00 and on Sundays from 12.00 to 18.00. On the last Thursdays of the month the museum is open until 22.00. If you don’t know how to reach the museum, let us give you a brief information about how to get there. There a few options; bus, train, metro or ferry. M2 metro line, Marmaray train, Heybeliada-Karakoy-Eminonu ferry line and bus 28T will all take you to a spot near Salt Galata. 
 

What’s Inside Salt Galata

Even though the building itself is a work of art, there are many exhibitions taking place in Salt Galata. You should follow the calendar from the website and visit Salt Galata accordingly. Now there is an exhibition for works of an artist who is one of the representatives of photorealism in Turkey at the moment, for instance. It is called Our Happiness Pictures and brings a criticism to the wide-spreading popular culture and its reflections on Turkey. Later there will be a conference which a famous architect attends on the issue of architecture publishing. There are many more examples like these. Ottoman Bank museum still remains so if you are interested you can see that as well.
SALT Research contains a library with physical and digital documents and sources. These involve an archive of sources covering Turkey, Mediterranean Basin and South-East Basin from the end of 19^th century to today.  The sources of art history, architecture, design from the late Ottoman Empire to early establishment of the Republic of Turkey are present. For a history, especially art history lover it is a good combination.
There are two restaurants inside one is Salt Galata Restaurant or Café, the other is called Neolokal. Salt Galata Café is where you can receive service on any time of the day and has a peaceful atmosphere. Neolokal is where you can taste examples of Turkish and Aegean cuisine and is open from 18.00 to 02.00. If you don’t want to eat at SALT Galata but want to taste local cuisine, you might take a walk around Karakoy and choose from an infinite number of options. Mukellef Karakoy is one of the best options to taste local products of Istanbul and Turkey in general. When you are done you can conclude your delicious meal with a hot boiling tea from Dem Karakoy. They say it is respectful to the meal to end with a nice tea.

Discover Beyond SALT Galata

You might think to yourself after you have seen around SALT Galata but there are many more things to do at Karakoy neighbourhood and on Beyoglu district as a whole. You can start your tour around SALT Galata by the street it is located which is called Banks Street. As you will recognize the building Salt Galata is in used to be a big bank as well. The street is historic and worth taking a look at while you are there. Next, as the SALT Galata name suggests to you, you are really very close to Galata Tower, one of the landmarks of Istanbul. It is a shame to leave the area without climbing up Galata Tower. However, be careful who you are climbing with because the legend says who climbs together, marries each other. You can walk around Galata Tower and explore the historic background of it as well as enjoying the beauty of the neighbourhood. Istiklal Street is a little bit further than Galata Tower to where you will be after you are done seeing SALT Galata but it is worth the effort to reach there of course. You can take a tour including both Galata and Istiklal Street tours and enjoy them together. If you decide to walk towards Karakoy you will encounter many boutique shops where you can purchase vintage clothing items or many gift shops where you can take home a tiny replica of Galata Tower as a reminder of your journey. There are many cafés you can drink coffee, taste delicious deserts, or have chat with your friends alongside with ice cold beer. Finally, you can see Kamondo Stairs which is a must-see attraction place while you are in Karakoy. It is a beautiful staircase design built by Kamondo family which used to be the largest banker family of Ottoman Empire.