New Cultural Address of Istanbul Anatolian Side: Gazhane Museum

When it comes to the history of Istanbul, the Hasanpaşa Gasworks is of great importance. The gasworks, which was established to meet the gas needs required for gas lamps used during the Ottoman period, has now become a brand new living space: Museum Gasworks!

What's in the Museum Gasworks?

The idle building of the Hasanpaşa Gasworks began to serve with the museum concept as of July 9, 2021. This new living space, which has also been renamed Museum Gasworks, is a structure of 32 thousand square meters in total. The Museum Gasworks, which includes sections such as the Science Museum, Cartoon and Humor Museum, Afife Batur Library, temporary exhibition area, cafe, restaurant, Children's Science Center and theater halls, has also been designed as a green area on the outside. Therefore, there is also an open area where you can spend time when you come to attend an event.

A Brief History of the Hasanpaşa Gasworks

The history of the Hasanpaşa Gasworks, which met the electricity needs of the Anatolian Side for many years before serving as the Museum Gasworks, dates back to the late 19th century. In addition to Hasanpaşa Gasworks, one of the four gasworks in Istanbul at the time, Dolmabahçe, Yedikule and Kuzguncuk Gasworks also served Istanbul.

Although the Anatolian Side was illuminated with gas produced at Kuzguncuk Gasworks starting from 1860, insufficiency emerged after a while and a new gasworks had to be built. Indeed, the structure that entered service in 1892 under the name Üsküdar – Kadıköy Gas Company-i Tenviriyesi, today’s Museum Gasworks, began to meet the electricity needs of the Anatolian Side. The structure, which was called Kurbağalıdere Gasworks and Kadıköy Gasworks for a while, would soon take the name Hasanpaşa.

How Was Gas Produced?

The system was quite practical: Coal brought from Kurbağalıdere was taken to the gasworks by rail system; it was processed here and converted into town gas.

The gasworks, which operated continuously until World War I, stopped its operations for a short time during and after the war. During this period of scarcity, gas was sometimes produced from olive pits instead of coal, which is the raw material for gas production, in order to prevent the facility from interrupting production.

The service life of the structure, which continued to serve as a gasworks after the declaration of the Republic, was further increased by extending the agreement made with the Üsküdar – Kadıköy Gas Company for another fifty years with an additional contract in 1924. When the company operating the Yedikule Gasworks purchased the Üsküdar – Kadıköy Gas Company in 1926, these two separate structures would continue to provide service under one roof under the name of “İstanbul Havagazı ve Elektrik Teşebbüsatı Sanayiiye Türk Anonim Şirketi”…

Indeed, the Hasanpaşa Gasworks, which continued its existence independently between 1938 and 1944, continued to provide service under the roof of İETT as of 1945. The structure stopped its service on June 13, 1993, due to the decrease in gas demand, sociocultural changes, new structures and new forms of lighting, and the need for the gasworks’ activities.

What to Do in the Museum Gazhane?

Climate Museum: The Climate Museum, one of the areas located in the Museum Gazhane, is an awareness project themed on climate, which is considered one of the most important problems of our age. It is worth seeing with its unique design, visualizations and content that can answer all the questions about climate…

Istanbul Bookstore: A branch of Istanbul Bookstore, one of the favorite addresses of book lovers, is also located in the Museum Gazhane. If you are looking for an address where you can examine newly published books, bestsellers, especially Istanbul-themed books by IBB Kültür AŞ and return home with your arms full of books, this will be the right choice.

Science Center: The Science Center, which consists of 24 exhibition areas and three main sections, is quite large and diverse; With its workshop areas, play areas designed for children and many details that come to mind about science, it aims to increase the experiences of everyone from 7 to 70 in science.

In addition, you can check the cultural, artistic, scientific and sports activities organized for children and adults almost every day on the Gazhane Museum website and participate in dozens of wonderful events free of charge.

Gazhane Museum Visiting Hours and Entrance Fee

Although the entrance to Gazhane Museum is free, almost all of the structures inside are open every day except Monday; they are open between 09.00 - 18.00 on weekdays and 10.00 - 19.00 on weekends. Only the IMM Afife Batur Library and the Voice Study Area are open 24/7.

How to Get to Gazhane Museum?

Gazhane Museum is located in Istanbul Kadıköy, Hasanpaşa İkbaliye Sokak No: 39. You can easily reach Gazhane Museum by metro, metrobus and Marmaray. Those coming from Kadıköy; Take the Kadıköy – Tavşantepe metro and get off at Acıbadem Station, walk for five minutes.

You can walk to the Gazhane Museum. Those coming from Üsküdar can take the Marmaray, get off at Söğütlüçeşme Station and walk five minutes to the Gazhane Museum. Those coming from the European Side can take the metrobus, get off at Söğütlüçeşme and walk five minutes to the Gazhane Museum.

Written by: Alper Kaya