Ara Güler Museum

Ara Güler Museum (AGM) is a private museum established to preserve, exhibit and transmit the works, archives, personal belongings and professional legacy of the photographer and photojournalist Ara Güler (1928–2018). The museum opened on 16 August 2018, in the Bomontiada complex in Istanbul’s Şişli district, in collaboration with the Doğuş Group, on the occasion of the artist’s 90th birthday. Recognized as Türkiye’s first photography museum meeting international standards, the building was granted the status of a Ministry of Culture and Tourism Private Museum in 2022 and acquired membership in the International Council of Museums (ICOM).

Ara Güler Museum (Anadolu Agency)

Foundation and Opening

The Ara Güler Museum was realized through a collaboration between the Doğuş Group and Ara Güler. Its opening ceremony took place on 16 August 2018 with the artist’s participation and carried symbolic significance as it coincided with his 90th birthday. At the opening, the exhibition titled “The Whistling Man” was presented to the public, alongside the publication of the museum’s first book under the same title. During the opening, Ara Güler’s speech was recorded, in which he highlighted the challenges of building an archive and linked archival work to restoration efforts.

Physical Space and Structure

The museum is housed within the historic Bomonti Beer Factory, serving as an example of the cultural repurposing of industrial heritage. The project was designed by PAB Mimarlık. The museum is not only an exhibition space but also functions as a research center where archival, classification, inventory and conservation activities are carried out. The permanent address of the museum is planned to be the Güler Apartment in Galatasaray, where Ara Güler preserved his archive throughout his life.

Ara Güler Archive and Research Center (AGAVAM)

Established simultaneously with the museum, the Ara Güler Archive and Research Center (AGAVAM) was created to safeguard the artist’s archive, accumulated over approximately 70 years of professional activity, using scientific methods. Here, photographic negatives, personal notes, documents, cameras, press cards and various collections are classified, inventoried and digitized. This archive, planned for access by researchers, operates in close integration with the museum’s activities.

Collection and Exhibitions

The museum’s collection includes Ara Güler’s photographs, personal belongings, notes, press cards and the cameras he used. The collection also encompasses documents reflecting not only his photographic output but also his life, relationships and cultural contributions.

Since its opening exhibition, “The Whistling Man,” the museum has organized several temporary exhibitions:

• Aphrodisias (From the Master’s Archive): Features previously unpublished original darkroom prints related to the ancient city of Aphrodisias and the village of Geyre, which Ara Güler discovered and introduced to the world.
• Hollows and Mounds: A Look at Göbeklitepe: The first exhibition to present Ara Güler’s photographs of Göbeklitepe, taken years earlier.

Through these exhibitions, the artist’s visual documentation of different periods and geographies has been made accessible to the public.

Ara Güler Museum (Anadolu Agency)

Function and Visitation

The Ara Güler Museum aims not only to display its permanent collection but also to promote photographic art through temporary exhibitions, events, publications and national and international collaborations. The museum is open free of charge from 10:00 to 18:00 Monday to Saturday, and from 12:00 to 18:00 on Sundays.