Night Museum Visits and Cultural Festivals Enrich Turkey’s Summer Season

Night Museum Visits and Cultural Festivals Enrich Turkey’s Summer Season

Turkey, a historical crossroads throughout the ages, continues to attract attention with its rich archaeological heritage. To promote these historical and archaeological treasures to a broader audience and to enhance cultural diversity, the “Night Museum” initiative—launched last year—continues this summer as well. The program, which began this month, will run until October 1. Don’t forget to include these “cultural stops” in your summer travel plans!

With the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s night museum initiative, 27 museums and archaeological sites will welcome visitors after dark, offering a journey through history under the stars. Among the most popular sites is the Ancient City of Ephesus, which remains open until 11:00 PM on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. In Antalya, Aspendos, Patara, and Side ancient cities can also be visited at night. In Adıyaman, the Nemrut Archaeological Site opens its gates starting from 4:00 AM, allowing visitors to witness its famous sunrise.

In Istanbul, the Archaeology Museums, the Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum, and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts remain open until 10:00 PM, while the Galata Tower welcomes guests until 11:00 PM. The Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gaziantep, and the underground cities of Derinkuyu, Kaymaklı, and Özkonak in Nevşehir are also part of the night program and can be visited until 9:00 PM. Museums in Samsun and Şanlıurfa are included as well.

Opera and Ballet Festivals Across the Country

Ballet and opera festivals organized in various cities throughout Turkey offer rich cultural experiences for those who want to blend art with history this summer. The 8th Ephesus Opera and Ballet Festival, held at the Ephesus Ancient Theatre, will run until July 13, featuring many prominent performances. The Bodrum Ballet Festival will begin on August 1 at Bodrum Castle and continue until August 25. The summer season will conclude with the Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival, which will take place from September 14 to October 1.