Kelime Müzesi

About Kelime Müzesi

The Word Museum (Kelime Müzesi) is a museum of the Turkish language in the Kale quarter of Altındağ, directly opposite the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations and beside Ankara Castle. It was founded by the writer Şermin Yaşar to teach children and young people the meanings of Turkish words, proverbs and idioms, and it opened on 26 September 2022, the day Turkey celebrates its Language Day. It describes itself as the first museum of its kind in Turkey. The museum presents words, idioms and proverbs, with their meanings, origins and examples of use, enriched with art and visual design. The idea is that visitors "read" each word, engaging with its story, etymology and visual interpretation rather than simply walking past. More than 100 words are displayed together with over 90 objects, and interactive pieces bring some of them to life, such as a panel that breathes in and out for the word "teneffüs". Exhibits change from time to time. The museum is spread over three floors. The lower floor covers proverbs and the journey of idioms, the middle floor deals with words, their origins and usage, and the upper floor holds displays and installations about sentences. Between the floors hangs a glass and brass chandelier made of Turkish, Uyghur, Göktürk and Arabic letters. According to the Ministry of Education's out-of-school learning guide, it is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00-17:00, and closed on Mondays. Entry is paid, free for children under nine and disabled visitors, and the Müzekart is not valid. Guided tours are available on request; secondary-school groups must book, and primary-school group visits are not accepted.