Polis Müzesi

About Polis Müzesi

The Police Museum (Polis Müzesi) tells the story of the Turkish police force from its founding to the present day. It is run by the General Directorate of Security (Emniyet Genel Müdürlüğü) on its Dikmen annex campus in Ayrancı, Çankaya, and opened on 9 April 2021 as part of events marking the 176th anniversary of the force. According to the Ministry of Education's out-of-school learning guide, the museum covers 3,801 square metres in total, of which 1,518 square metres are exhibition space. The displays are arranged in six sections. The historical galleries trace the police through history with period uniforms, a chronology of police history, the structure of the Ottoman police, models of Ottoman police stations, stories of police heroes, detective fiction in Turkish literature, the first use of fingerprints and the first mounted bicycle unit, along with weapons and historic vehicles. Silicone figures, re-enactments, dioramas and documentary-style films bring these stories to life. Another section has re-created crime-scene and bomb-disposal areas, an introduction to police dogs, a traffic-rules education area and game, a gift shop, a police library and social spaces. The final section shows current police equipment and uniforms, an area on 15 July, belongings of officers who lost their lives on duty, and historic documents and photographs. The museum's website says it is open six days a week, every day except Sunday, from 10.00 to 17.00.