Istanbul Military Museum

Set in the Harbiye district near Taksim, this large museum traces the military history of the Ottoman and Turkish states across many centuries. Displays include armour, weapons, campaign tents, banners and a famous section of the great chain that once barred the Golden Horn against enemy fleets. A popular daily performance by the Mehter, the historic Ottoman military band regarded as one of the oldest of its kind, fills a hall with martial music. The collection charts conquest, siege and reform from the frontier to the republic.