Yılmaz Büyükerşen Beeswax Sculptures Museum

Yılmaz Büyükerşen Wax Sculptures Museum is Türkiye’s first wax sculpture museum, opened to the public on 19 May 2013 in Eskişehir. The museum was established through the initiatives of Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Büyükerşen, and the majority of the wax sculptures were crafted personally by Büyükerşen. The museum features a large number of wax sculptures of prominent local and international figures, distinguishing itself as both a cultural and tourist attraction.

Eskişehir Wax Sculptures Museum, wax sculptures of the Atatürk family. (Eskişehir Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism)

History and Establishment

The museum is the first representative in Türkiye of the type of wax sculpture exhibitions found in various parts of the world, such as Madame Tussauds. Its founder, Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Büyükerşen, previously created wax sculptures of Atatürk for sites including Anıtkabir, Samsun, İnebolu, İzmir, War Academies, and the Naval War College. The majority of the wax sculptures displayed in the museum are also his own work.

Halls and Themes

The museum consists of five distinct halls:

• Hall A: Atatürk and his family, the Turkish War of Independence, Ottoman sultans
• Hall B: Aviation, railways, press, industry, science, sports, foreign leaders, Turkish cinema and music artists
• Hall C: Historical figures
• Hall D: Democracy theme
• Hall E: Personal exhibition of Yılmaz Büyükerşen (education, memorabilia, awards)

Eskişehir Wax Sculptures Museum - Hall A. (Eskişehir Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism)ü)

Live History Scene

In the museum’s “Live History Scene” section, android silicone figures of Atatürk and İsmet İnönü are displayed with sound and motion. This section also features documentary footage related to the War of Independence and recent history.

Some Notable Figures Depicted in Sculptures

Some of the important individuals represented by sculptures in the museum include:

• Historical Figures: Mehmet II, Selim I, Süleyman I, Hürrem Sultan, Yunus Emre, Battal Gazi, Nasrettin Hoca
• War of Independence and Republican Era: Cengiz Topel, Sabiha Gökçen, Adnan Menderes, Turgut Özal
• Arts and Media: Cüneyt Arkın, Barış Manço, Kemal Sunal, Orhan Gencebay, Adile Naşit, Beyazıt Öztürk
• Academia and Literature: İlber Ortaylı, Hıfzı Topuz, Ataol Behramoğlu, Emin Çölaşan

Visit Information

Since its opening in 2013 until the beginning of 2024, the Yılmaz Büyükerşen Wax Sculptures Museum has welcomed over three million domestic and international visitors. The museum is open six days a week. Visiting hours are from 10:00 to 17:00 on weekdays and weekends; it is closed on Mondays. Admission to the museum is charged.