When Istanbul opened its new airport last summer, it also opened the world’s largest airport museum, showcasing over 300 works drawn from the collections of 29 Turkish museums. The opening exhibit, “Treasures of Turkey: Faces of the Throne” spotlights important eras in Turkey’s history.
The head of the airport operating company told media that “We want to turn the time spent at the airport into an unique experience. Our aim is to turn our passengers attention on art and culture.” He added that “With this museum, we have been able to gather some original artifacts under a single roof, which would otherwise be impossible to set eyes on at a single time.”
While many airports showcase works of art on loan or commissioned for the airport, few have created actual museums on premises (much less charge a €5 admission as Istanbul’s does), it’s not without precedent. Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum maintains a branch at the city’s Schiphol Airport, with paintings rotating with the main collection.
