The July 15 Martyrs Memorial and Museum is located in the Kuzguncuk neighborhood of Istanbul’s Üsküdar district. It was constructed to commemorate the failed coup attempt that took place in 2016 and to honor the memory of those who lost their lives during this critical period. Widely regarded as a turning point in the history of the Republic of Türkiye, the July 15 coup attempt is remembered as a night when civilian resistance and a collective consciousness of democracy were powerfully demonstrated. The memorial and museum are situated on the Anatolian side of the July 15 Martyrs Bridge, covering an area of approximately 1,500 square meters.
The July 15 Martyrs Memorial (Turkish Museums)
The museum was established to document the social, political, and human dimensions of this historic event, to present them through documentary-style exhibitions, and to enable visitors to engage with personal testimonies. Its official opening took place on July 15, 2019, marking the third anniversary of the coup attempt, in Istanbul’s Üsküdar district.
Memory July 15 Museum (AA)
Purpose and Function
Unlike traditional museums that primarily document the past, the Memory July 15 Museum functions as a “social memory laboratory.” Its core aim is to reconstruct, both individually and collectively, the traumatic event that left a lasting mark on the national consciousness—through documents, eyewitness accounts, and digital archives. The museum integrates emotional, intellectual, and visual memory through exhibits designed to engage the families of the martyrs, veterans, witnesses, students, and researchers alike. It also serves as a functional institution for ensuring accurate transmission of the past and reinforcing a culture of democracy, thereby contributing to cultural continuity.
Architecture and Spatial Design
The museum building was designed in accordance with principles of contemporary architecture. Located on a 1,500-square-meter site, the interior is divided into exhibition spaces supported by sound, light, and digital technologies. The entrance area introduces visitors to the socio-political atmosphere leading up to the night of the coup, while the subsequent sections narrate the events of the coup attempt in chronological order.
The structure was realized under the directive of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye and curated by architect Hilmi Şenalp. The conceptual foundation of the project was laid at a Museum Workshop held on January 7, 2017, jointly organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and the July 15 Association. Since its inauguration, the museum has been operated by the July 15 Association under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. In 2023, the ownership of the museum and memorial was transferred from the Treasury to the Directorate General of Cultural Heritage and Museums of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, officially designating the site as a cultural heritage institution.
The museum not only presents the resistance of July 15 in depth but also offers a broader historical context on military coups, colonialism, and military tutelage both in Türkiye and globally. It features personal belongings of the July 15 martyrs, preserves the memories of veterans, and conveys the epic resistance against the coup attempt in a comprehensive and immersive manner.
Memory July 15 Museum (AA)
Digital and Interactive Technologies
The museum goes beyond traditional display cases by incorporating interactive screens, touch panels, augmented reality (AR) applications, mapped digital projections, and audio narration systems. This integration of technology transforms the visitor from a passive observer into an active participant. Designed especially to engage younger audiences, this approach aims to deepen the emotional and cognitive connection to the events presented.
Memory July 15 Museum (AA)
Educational and Informative Activities
The museum organizes guided tours, workshops, panels, and talks aimed at various age groups and professions, with a particular focus on students and educators. The educational programs cover topics such as the history of democracy, constitutional order, the history of coups, and media literacy. Within this framework, the museum also collaborates with educational institutions through formal agreements, functioning as an extracurricular learning environment.
Archiving and Documentation Efforts
The July 15 Digital Archive, established within the museum, has been developed through the systematic classification of written, visual, and audio materials related to the events of the coup night, in accordance with academic standards. This archive is accessible to researchers and is also available online through a virtual museum platform, allowing users who cannot physically visit the site to access the materials remotely.
Memory July 15 Museum (AA)
Social Memory and Narrative Construction
The Memory July 15 Museum serves as an institution dedicated to collecting information, documents, and testimonies related to the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, with the goal of preserving these events within the collective memory and presenting them spatially. The narrative structure within the museum is organized according to the chronological flow of events, the locations of resistance, and eyewitness accounts. Materials used in the exhibitions include visual archives, personal belongings, audio narrations, and digital content. This framework enables visitors to trace the connections between individual experiences and historical events through documented evidence. By building its narrative around person-centered documents and event-focused data sets, the museum offers an information-based exhibition arrangement.
The July 15 Martyrs Memorial (YouTube: T.C. Istanbul Governorate)
At the entrance of the museum, the following inscription is engraved on the monument stone: “This martyrdom monument was constructed with the will of the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in respectful memory of our heroic brothers who were martyred on July 15, 2016.”
The July 15 Martyrs Memorial and Museum, operating under the umbrella of “Memory July 15,” welcomes visitors six days a week and attracts significant attention, especially from the residents of Istanbul and visitors to the city.
Address: Kuzguncuk Neighborhood, Nevnihal Street, No: 12, Üsküdar / ISTANBUL
Phone: +90 216 553 15 07
Affiliated Institution: Directorate General of Cultural Heritage and Museums, Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Management: Operated in cooperation with the July 15 Association and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
