Picture the social life of Izmir in the 19th century by exploring the displays of the Ethnography Museum. This fascinating attraction is hosted in an eye-catching building near several other museums around the Bay of Izmir. Browse information panels and dioramas that tell the story of Izmir in the 1800s, highlighting some of the city’s stranger traditions and celebrating a bygone era.
The site of the museum itself comes with a fascinating history. Wander around the halls of the St. Roch Building, a 19th-century French hospital that was built on a 16th-century Jewish cemetery. In 1984, the local government bought the building and it was adapted to host the Ethnography Museum. Enter this attractive, neoclassical building through a marble staircase and explore all three floors to take in all of the museum’s exhibits.
Learn about the historic traditions of Izmir’s people across a range of displays, pictures and information panels that piece together elements of 19th-century life. Topics covered here include the forgotten pastime of camel wrestling, old superstitions and the first pharmacy to open in Turkey.
Many of the handicrafts here are nearly extinct as a result of machines and industry. See dioramas of mannequins recreating traditional crafts such as rope-making, tinsmithing, weaving carpets and printing with wood.
Other displays document different stages of life for people growing up here in the 1800s. A circumcision room and decorative clothing for babies look at the start of life. Find out about traditional weddings by looking at the elegant outfits worn by brides from this era, including a collection of veils from the Aegean area. Step into recreations of traditional sitting rooms and kitchens.
The Ethnography Museum is located next to Izmir’s Archaeology Museum in Konak Bahri Baba Park. No car parking is available on the site, so take the metro to one of the nearby streets and walk here in a few minutes. Visit on any day of the week and enter this fascinating museum for free.
