Türkiye Barolar Birliği Hukuk Müzesi

About Türkiye Barolar Birliği Hukuk Müzesi

The Türkiye Barolar Birliği Hukuk Müzesi (Law Museum of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations) is housed in the Union's headquarters building in Oğuzlar Mahallesi, Balgat, in the Çankaya district. The decision to found it was taken in December 2005, and it opened in April 2012 as part of the Union's Lawyers' Week programme. Both the Ministry of Education's out-of-school learning guide and Turkish Wikipedia describe it as Turkey's first and only law museum. The collection sets out to show, in visual form, how law has changed over time alongside the history of thought and civilisation, from the age of mythology to the present day. Besides objects of historical and artistic value, it holds legal dress from different periods, legal documents, belongings used by jurists, Ottoman-Turkish law books, photographs and sculptures. The museum's online catalogue groups its records into collections that include diplomas and licences, ephemera, philatelic material, photographs, judicial clothing, legal documents, books, periodicals and writing materials. The photograph collection includes a 1938 picture of some of Turkey's early women judges and lawyers during a court hearing, and in 2024 the family of Mehmet Ürfi Akagün, a judge in the early years of the Republic, donated the robe he wore to the museum. Practical notes: according to the Ministry of Education guide, the museum is open on weekdays from 09:00 to 18:00 and closed at weekends and on public holidays. Entry is free, and the guide lists step-free access and guided tours. Groups are best arranged in advance by contacting the museum.