Vehbi Koç Foundation’s Sadberk Hanım Museum is Turkey’s first private museum intended to exhibit the private collection of Sadberk Koç, the wife of Vehbi Koç. The Museum was opened on 14 October 1980 at a building called the Azaryan Mansion in Sarıyer-Büyükdere.

Azaryan Mansion was built at the end of the 19th century and was purchased by Koç family in 1950. It was used as the family’s summer retreat until they decided to convert the building into a museum in 1978. Between 1978-80, the building was subjected to a restoration project by Sedat Hakkı Eldem and was converted into a museum.

The museum's collection initially consisted of the private collection of Sadberk Koç, which included traditional costumes, embroidery, silver artefacts with "tuğra" and porcelain and suchlike artefacts, and in due course was augmented with donations and purchases. Following the demise of Hüseyin Kocabaş, one of the outstanding collectors of Turkey, his collection was also added to the Sadberk Hanım Museum’s Collection. In 1983, Vehbi Koç Foundation has decided to purchase the neighbouring mansion that is believed to have been built around the beginning of the 20th century to accommodate the Hüseyin Kocabaş Collection and the mansion’s facade was restored in the original form. The mansion’s restoration project was prepared by Architect Ibrahim Yalçın and on 24 October 1988 the mansion building was opened to public as the annex and it was named "Sevgi Gönül Building". In 1988, the building was chosen as an example for contemporary museums for its exhibition layout and it was honoured with the "Europa Nostra Award".

Whilst at the time of its foundation Sadberk Hanım Museum contained 3.000 pieces, at present, the inventory reached about 20.000 pieces of artefacts in its collection. Archaeological relics belonging to Anatolian civilisation from 6th millennium BC till the end of the Byzantines are being housed in the Sevgi Gönül Building. Islamic artefacts with Ottoman emphasise, European, Far Eastern and Near Eastern artefacts that were produced for the Ottomans, woven textiles from the Ottoman era, garments and embroideries are being exhibited in the Azaryan Building.

Sadberk Hanım Museum opened on 14 October 1980 as Turkey’s first private museum, established by the Vehbi Koç Foundation to exhibit the private collection of Sadberk Koç, the wife of Vehbi Koç. Today the museum holds about 20.000 items in its Turkish Islamic and archaeological collections.

The museum gives priority to collecting outstanding examples of Ottoman period works. In particular its collections of İznik tiles and ceramics and Ottoman period women’s costume and embroidery rank among the best in the world. The museum collections continue to grow rapidly, with the addition of donations and objects purchased both in Turkey and abroad.

As well as archaeological and early Islamic period items, Sadberk Hanım Museum gathers the finest examples of works of art ranging from calligraphy to silk fabrics produced over the six centuries of the Ottoman Empire. Preserving these as a cultural legacy for future generations is one of the museum’s principal objectives. The museum also aims to acquaint the general public with this legacy through its permanent exhibitions, temporary exhibitions, publications and educational programmes. In keeping with contemporary museumship, the museum sees its role as an educational and cultural institution that ensures museum visits are both informative and enjoyable and contributes to society’s artistic and scientific achievement.

Sadberk Hanım Museum’s collections of Anatolian and Turkish cultural objects are arranged chronologically, beginning from the 6th millenium BC and continuing to the present day. Reconstructions of Ottoman domestic interiors and customs are among the finest examples of their kind. Sadberk Hanım Museum is a member of the International Council of Museums and esteemed in national and international academic circles and among those engaged in the study of world cultures. Encouraging awareness and knowledge of Turkish cultural history is one of its foremost aims, so the museum welcomes academic researchers and frequently loans works to exhibitions held in Turkey and abroad. The museum also engages in joint projects with state-owned museums.

Sadberk Koç, my mother, for whom this museum was established, was the beloved spouse of Vehbi Koç, who as a Turkish citizen believed that he had duties to the greater society. Vehbi Koç served his country in numerous ways. Education and culture are two of them. To be able to reach such a level, there are some visible elements and there are some not so. One of the “not so visible ones” was his wife, my mother Sadberk Koç. She had supported him all his life, provided a happy family life to his children, ensured that they had a good upbringing. Other than providing the best order to her household, her passion for embroidery and handcrafts helped her to create an exclusive collection. Until the final days of her life, one of her greatest wishes had been to exhibit her collection of fine works in a museum that would carry her name.

Sadberk Hanim was the middle daughter of Sadullah Bey, a Chief Herbalist, who was a member of one of the most prominent families of Ankara. She was born in 1908 and married to her maternal cousin Vehbi Koç at the age of 18. The war of Independence, Ataturk, Turkey... And the new Capital, Ankara! In such trying new environment, she was the long-suffering wife of a man who had to work very hard to prove his worth. She was the loving mother of three daughters and a son. As a traditionalist, she possessed an inner life enriched with the maturing effects of her suffering as well as her happiness. With such colourful characteristics, she was a lady who provided joy for everybody in her domain. There existed an infinite patience and strong sense of humour in the cosy home she had created. Her greatest interests were embroidery, gardening, healing herbs and her children. There we have the very first embroideries, and other artefacts that were painstakingly collected and preserved by one of the first Ladies of the Republic, our beloved mother, that became the core of the museum.

Sadberk Koç sadly passed away on 23 November 1973 and fulfilling her dream to establish a museum befell on my father Vehbi Koç and us, their children. It is unfortunate that she could not see her greatest monument. Looking back, I believe at the time none of us were capable of imagining how far advanced a level this museum, named after her, could have reached.

Sevgi Gönül, İstanbul 1995

Board of Management
Ömer M. Koç Head of Executive Committee
Oğuz Toprakoğlu Member of Executive Committee
Ahmet Özdirek Accounting Manager
Hülya Bilgi Museum Director

Curatorial Team
Lale Görünür Art Historian
Havva Furat Ay Art Historian
M. Merve Uca Art Historian
Müge Arseven Archaeologist

Conservation Laboratory
Yeşim Ecevit
Berrin Caka
Yasemin Biga

Textile Restoration Studio
Elif Kıran
Büşra Balçık
Samed Ercan

Library
Mevlüde Kurt Library and Archive Officer
Gökay Işık Archive Officer

Communication and Coordination
Esra Demirbağ

Technical Team
Şahin Demir
Erdinç Kaya

Photography
Aydın Berk Bilgin

Attendant Team

Ahmet Yılmaz
İbrahim Yamaç
Taner Coşkun
Serkan Sarıca
Kenan Coşkun
Tekin Karaçöl
Cem Kılıç
İbrahim Serkan Esen
Halil Çeliktaş
Recep Tuncel

Security
Abdullah Yılmaz
Ekrem Duman
Baybora İlhan

Sadberk Hanım Museum includes a restoration and conservation laboratory and textile workshop. These facilities are primarily responsible for conserving the museum collection under the appropriate conditions to ensure that all the objects are passed down safely to future generations.

Conservation and restoration of organic and inorganic objects in the collection are undertaken in the laboratory. Heat and humidity levels for objects on display and in storage are regularly monitored.

Textiles in the collection are reinforced and repaired in the textile restoration workshop to prepare them for display.