Şanlıurfa Game and Toy Museum

Have you ever wondered what toys your grandparents played with when they were children? The Şanlıurfa Game and Toy Museum was established to satisfy this curiosity. Here, you can see both very old toys and those still in use today. The museum serves as a bridge connecting the past with the present.

The museum is situated in the Şenevler Neighborhood of the Karaköprü District in Şanlıurfa. Opened in 2018, it is located within Kültür Parkı and marks a first for Şanlıurfa, as it is the city’s first toy museum.

The museum’s founding was supported by residents of the city. Families from Karaköprü donated the toys they played with during their own childhoods. As a result, many of the exhibited items are authentic objects that once belonged to children and accompanied their play.

The museum’s most important feature is that its collection was not acquired through purchase but through public contribution. The names of those who donated their old toys are displayed within the museum, ensuring that both the stories of the toys and the memories of their donors are kept alive.

Over time, the museum has expanded and now includes toys from various countries. Today, approximately two thousand toys are on display, some dating back to the 1930s.

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The museum features a wide variety of toys. Handmade items such as wire carts, wooden skateboards, and nailed wooden game boards stand out. These were toys created by children themselves using their own efforts.

There are also bicycles, dolls, stuffed animals, model figures of cartoon characters, and animal figurines. One of the museum’s most popular exhibits is a pedal-powered toy car from the 1950s.

In the museum’s garden, large animal models and colorful cartoon characters are displayed. Children who visit not only examine the toys indoors but also enjoy time playing among the outdoor figures.

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The museum does more than display toys—it introduces children to the past. Today’s children learn how their elders used to play, allowing them to see that happiness in earlier times could be found in simple things.

The museum also includes a historical section. For example, a special exhibit dedicated to the Victory of Çanakkale introduces children not only to toys but also to historical awareness. In this section, visitors gain knowledge not only about play but also about the nation’s history.

For adults, the museum holds a different meaning. Many visitors are moved to nostalgia upon seeing the toys of their youth. Some are even overcome with emotion and tears, demonstrating the museum’s dual role as both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Some of the oldest toys on display date back to the 1930s, allowing visitors to see games that are nearly 90 years old.