This museum, located next to the ferry landing in Beşiktaş, is undergoing major renovations and will be closed until 2008. One building, the Caiques Gallery, is devoted to huge imperial rowing boats, or caiques (some of them manned by replica oarsmen), dating from the 17th century. The largest of these, at 40 m (130 ft), was used by Mehmet IV and powered by 144 oarsmen. The rowing boats used by Atatürk look tiny in comparison: it is remarkable to think that he entertained heads of state in them. The exhibits in the neighbouring main museum include oil paintings of various military scenes, ship figureheads, naval uniforms and objects from Atatürk s yacht, the Savarona. (s1)

This museum which is located across from the Beşiktaş quay, was first established in 1897 in the Dolmabahçe Mosque. Moved out of Istanbul during World War I, this collection was re-established in the Dolmabahçe Mosque in 1949, and then moved to its present building in Beşiktaş in 1960. The gallery of imperial caiques was added to the museum in 1970. In 1971 the archives were moved to a separate building in Ankara. In addition to naval artefacts, this museum contains collections of oil and water colour paintings, engravings and maps. Of special interest is the early sixteenth-century map of America made by the Ottoman cartographer Piri Reis.
Deniz Müzesi iskele Cad., Beşiktaş (212) 261 00 40 Open daily 9.00-17.00 except Monday and Tuesday