Located in the Beyoglu district, Pera Museum is housed in a historic building from 1893 in Tepebasi.
In 2005, the building was completely restored by the Suna and Inan Kirac Foundation and converted into an art museum. The former Bristol Hotel provides elegant rooms on a total of five floors for collections as well as permanent and temporary exhibitions. It includes Anatolian, Oriental and European crafts and works of art of various eras and also offers plenty space for movies and many other cultural activities. Kütahya’s permanent ceramic collection also provides insights into the production and history of the traditional ceramic production from the time of the Ottoman Empire. Küthaya tiles were considered one of the most important centers for ceramic in the 16th and 17th centuries and are still seen as an epitome for porcelain and tiles throughout the country.
The absolute highlight of the museum’s collection is Osman Hamdi Bey’s painting “The Tortoise Trainer” from the year 1906. At an art auction at the end of 2004, it was auctioned for a record price of 3.5 million US $. The Pera Museum is delighted to present this extremely valuable masterpiece to its visitors in its Orientalist Painting Collection.