The celebrity wax museum
The wax museum in Istanbul sits on İstiklal Street, one of the foremost attractions in Istanbul, and it is in fact the 21st museum in the worldwide Madame Tussauds chain.
The museum holds extremely lifelike sculptures and figures of politicians, athletes, actors and influential people from around the world.
The wax figures at Madame Tussauds in Istanbul are spread over six sections showing some 60 statues of well-known local and international figures who have left their mark on science, culture, art, politics and sport.
1- The music section
One of the most distinctive and appealing sections, because the music changes as you stand beside each figure; the volume and timing of the songs have been arranged so precisely that you can hear each artist without the sounds bleeding into one another.
This section holds figures of some of the world's most famous musicians, such as Rihanna, Madonna and Lady Gaga, alongside the best-known Turkish musicians such as Zeki Müren and Barış Manço. There is also a figure of the stage trio Mazhar, Fuat and Özkan in their stage costumes and with their instruments, standing before us just as they did in the eighties.
2- The science and culture section
Step into the science and culture section of the wax museum in Istanbul and you come face to face with the famous physicist Albert Einstein and Apple founder Steve Jobs. You will also be struck by the figure of Madame Marie Tussaud, who founded the Tussauds wax museums, in her blue apron and black shawl, holding an empty tea tray as though she really were standing in front of you, as well as a figure of Yaşar Kemal and many other famous names in science and culture such as Leonardo da Vinci and Mozart.
3- The sport section
This holds figures of the best-known footballers, tennis players and basketball players, such as Rafael Nadal, the Turkish player Arda Turan, Neymar and Maria Sharapova, along with the most famous figure of all, the Argentine footballer Lionel Messi.
4- The history and leaders section
The wax museum in Istanbul holds figures of people who did a great deal to change the course of history, such as Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, Mimar Sinan and the founder of the Turkish state Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who stands in a black suit rendered with precise measurements and lifelike detail
5- The VIP party section
Here we find figures of stars, actors and personalities who were among the first names invited to VIP parties, among them Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt, and from Türkiye Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ and Beren Saat
6- The cinema section
Cinema stars have their own dedicated space in the wax museum in Istanbul, with figures of the most important actors, actresses and directors in the film world. Among the most notable are Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Jennifer Lawrence, the famous director Steven Spielberg, and Tarık Akan, the best-known name in Turkish acting, whose figure shows him in middle age in a black suit.