İzmir Müze Gemiler (İnciraltı Deniz Müzesi)

The İzmir Museum Ships is a first class military naval museum run under the Naval Forces Command, where visitors walk through warships moored at İnciraltı Pier in Balçova. It is also known locally as the İnciraltı Sea Museum, and its vessels were the first museum ships in the Aegean region. The founding of the museum The museum was established under a protocol signed in 2006 between the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and the Southern Sea Area Command. It opened its doors on 1 July 2007, the day of the Maritime and Cabotage Festival. The first two vessels on display were the frigate TCG Ege and the submarine TCG Pirireis. On 22 May 2014 an AB 212 class helicopter was placed on the frigate's helicopter deck, and on 16 March 2015 the fast attack craft Kasırga joined the museum. The ships' duty stations, living quarters and equipment have been preserved in their original form and are explained to visitors with mannequins, models and panels. The frigate TCG Ege TCG Ege is a frigate built in the United States that joined the US Navy in 1973 as USS Ainsworth. She joined the Turkish Navy at a ceremony in Gölcük on 28 July 1994 and completed her active service on 25 March 2005. About 134 metres long, the frigate was designed for anti submarine warfare and was manned by 286 personnel while on active duty. The emblem of the ship shows an efe figure standing for bravery and courage, a dove for peace and a dragon for power. When she was converted into a museum some sections were arranged as exhibition and conference halls, while the other compartments were left in their original state. Inside the frigate there is an exhibition hall about ships that left their mark on Turkish maritime history from the Ottoman period to the present. The hall devoted to the Ertuğrul Frigate, which was sent to Japan in 1889 and sank in the Pacific Ocean on her return voyage, is one of the most moving parts of the museum. Another hall displays objects brought from the Çanakkale Naval Museum and paintings that depict the naval battle of 18 March. The helicopter on the frigate's deck is a submarine search and reconnaissance helicopter built in Italy in 1977, and a model pilot sits in its cockpit. TCG Pirireis and TCG Kasırga The submarine TCG Pirireis was built between 1949 and 1951 at the Portsmouth shipyard in the United States as the first fast attack submarine. After 29 years of service as USS Tang, she joined the Turkish Navy on 8 February 1980 under the name TCG Pirireis and was decommissioned on 9 August 2004. The submarine, about 87 metres long, consists of seven compartments, and almost all of it is displayed true to the original. As you move through the narrow corridors you understand with your own eyes what the hot bunking system, used because there was not enough resting space, really meant. TCG Kasırga was built in West Germany in 1967, gained the status of a fast attack craft after a refit in 1978 and completed her service on 30 June 2014. The living quarters of this boat, about 42 metres long, are brought to life with mannequins. Visiting According to İzmir Dergisi, a tour lasts about 45 minutes and is carried out in groups accompanied by staff. The ministry's museum portal states that more than a million people have visited the museum since it opened. Because the ships have steep ladders and narrow doorways, it is wise to wear comfortable shoes and keep your bag small. The cramped interior of the submarine can be challenging for visitors with limited mobility, so take this into account in your plans. On the platform facing the ships, İzmir caiques, the traditional boats of the Gulf of İzmir, are also on display. The museum occasionally hosts temporary exhibitions on maritime themes, and in the summer of 2026 a tile art exhibition opened for the centenary of the Cabotage Festival. According to the ministry's museum portal the museum is closed on Mondays; check current opening hours and entry conditions through official channels. Getting there and the surroundings The museum is on Başak Street in İnciraltı, and the masts of the ships can be seen from a distance along the coastal road. To come by public transport you can get off at one of the Balçova stations of the M1 metro line and walk towards the shore, or take the buses that run towards İnciraltı. The coastal cycle path that starts in Konak also passes in front of the museum. After touring the ships you can walk east along the shore to Çakalburnu Lagoon and İnciraltı City Forest.