Sakıp Sabancı Museum

Set in a former waterfront mansion at Emirgan on the upper Bosphorus, this private museum combines a permanent collection of Ottoman calligraphy and Turkish painting with major international temporary exhibitions. The historic villa, once home to the Sabancı industrial family, sits amid terraced gardens over the strait, and a modern annexe hosts touring shows of world-renowned artists. Fine manuscripts, imperial documents and decorative arts fill the older galleries. The blend of elegant residence and contemporary space makes it very refined.