One of the world’s most magnificent clock collections, located at Topkapı Palace, is open to visitors as a permanent exhibition.
Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace is home to one of the world’s rarest mechanical clock collections. The palace now displays its 380-piece collection of clocks, all of which were produced in a period of 400 years, in a permanent exhibition.
The exhibition, the “Topkapı Palace Clock Section,” also includes works by Turkish clock masters. The permanent exhibition opened late last week in the palace’s Divit Room with 380 clocks on display, most of which were kept behind closed doors for many years. With support from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Turkish Parliament and mechanical clock masters Şule Gürbüz and Recep Gürgen, the extensive collection of clocks was gathered as a result of many years of work.
The museum’s mechanical clock collection includes 380 pieces. Among the collection are Turkish clocks made by Turkish clock masters along with clocks collected from Germany, Russia and France during the Ottoman Empire’s 400-year span. Among them are magnificent clocks made by Breguet, the genius clockmaker for Ottoman sultans. One hundred clocks in the collection have been repaired by modern-day clock masters, who will also work to restore and maintain the remaining clocks in the collection.
The collection is divided into three parts: Ottoman clocks, European clocks and pocket watches.
