Observer’s Guide to the Best Art in Istanbul

There are several standard sites you see when in Istanbul. The big mosques and Grand Bazaar. Taksim, the bridges, and no shortage of historic architecture. Galata and hammam. You eat kebab, and—if you’re wise—extraordinary quantities of baklava. The city’s contemporary art scene, however, tends to go overlooked, even though Istanbul now boasts an impressive museum in addition to the slew of great galleries and other random art encounters scattered across town.

I’ve spent a lot of time in Istanbul over the past decade, but each time I went, the reopening of Istanbul Modern—closed for renovation and relocation in 2018—was delayed yet again. The museum officially opened in its new building on the waterfront of the Karaköy district in 2023; I finally saw it in 2025. By then, its reputation had been somewhat sullied (more on that below), but its expansive collection offered an excellent introduction to some of Turkey’s most essential artists via a large permanent collection and several large-scale temporary exhibitions each year. If you’re not familiar with Turkish art, there are a few works in particular to keep an eye out for.

Fahrelnissa Zeid’s My Hell is a sprawling explosion of geometric abstraction. A Muslim princess who became one of the first women to attend art school in Istanbul, Zeid was an important avant-gardist during the 1940s, and would show this painting in 1954 at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London during what was its first solo exhibition by a woman.

Azade Köker’s Landscape of Silence is similarly impressive in scale. From a distance, its 18-foot-wide canvas displays a tranquil forest, but upon closer inspection, you realize the forest is made of human skulls—the artist’s meditation on a world without us. Many will recognize the inspiration for neo-expressionist Bedri Beykam’s massive Gérôme, This is my Bath. A dual adaptation of Ingres’ Turkish Bath and Gérôme’s Grand Bath at Bursa, it imparts a captivating critique of Orientalism. Smaller in size but not in significance is Cihat Burak’s Death of a Poet, a triptych portrait of Nazim Hikmet, the midcentury leftist poet imprisoned for his politics then forced to flee before dying in exile.

I find the inclusion of the last work somewhat surprising due to accusations of politically motivated censorship directed against Istanbul Modern in recent years. Turkey has become increasingly autocratic over the course of President Erdogan’s two decades of power, with an ever-tightening noose around the arts, media and political opposition. One could see how that sort of thing would impact a museum’s collection; an homage to a leftist martyr is not something you expect to see here.

But there it is. And while wandering the city’s more petite art galleries, you’ll encounter plenty of art that could be interpreted as subversive. The Taksim Square area is best known for its shopping and food, but it is also dappled with art spaces. Meşher is one of the largest, offering an ever-changing assortment of mixed media exhibitions. Similarly expansive is Salt Beyoğlu, which in addition to art exhibitions, houses a cinema, bookstore and winter garden. And just down the street is Galeri Nev Istanbul, a single-room gallery that offers a small but engaging assortment of pieces.

North of Taksim in the bustling residential district of Dolapdere is Arter, which was the city’s largest contemporary art museum until the reopening of Istanbul Modern, and is an essential stop for anyone looking for the latest in Turkish art. It’s just a block away from Dirimart, which emphasizes emerging talent. On the Asian side of the city near the trendy Moda neighborhood is the Gazhane Museum, which is arguably my favorite art venue in Istanbul. Once a rusting gasworks, the space has been repurposed into a community center boasting galleries, cafes, a library and other creative spaces, all set amidst a jungle of restored industrial architecture.

To best see any or all of this, you have to carefully consider where you’ll stay. Istanbul is enormous, and if you end up in the wrong place, you’ll spend your entire visit grinding through traffic from the back of a taxi. Many make the mistake of staying as close as possible to Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. That’s theoretically fine if that area is all you’re interested in seeing, but if you’re trying to see the aforementioned art opportunities, you’re going to spend a lot of time commuting.

For easy access to both the Taksim galleries and Istanbul Modern, book a room at the Ritz-Carlton, which delivers a refined experience and gorgeous views. Two options nearby are the Park Hyatt Macka Palas and St. Regis, which are relatively close to Taksim while taking a step toward Arter and Dirimart. Both are something of architectural wonders, and both offer supremely luxurious accommodations. If you’re trying to split your time between Istanbul Modern, the galleries and Moda, the Conrad Bosphorus is situated near the bridge between the two sides of the city, and it provides a dazzling panorama of city and sea.

Finally, I’d like to impart an alternative to the Grand Bazaar, the prices of which have exploded over the past decade while the quality of goods has diminished. It’s worth seeing, but after you’re finished being overwhelmed by its crowds, head to the Fatih Sultan Bazaar on the western side of Fatih Mosque. Here you’ll find handicrafts, textiles, soaps, incense, foodstuffs and much more. It’s a market that leans toward serving locals rather than tourists, and unlike the more popular markets, it still retains an authentically artisanal atmosphere.

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