Sakıp Sabancı Müzesi

As I sat in the back of the van, crawling through traffic from the airport into Istanbul for the very first time, I looked out the window and noticed banner after banner advertising an exhibit of my favourite artist, Joan Miró. After a bit of Googling I discovered that the exhibit had just opened and was at the Sakıp Sabancı Museum.
Forget the museum — the grounds alone are absolutely stunning. Lush, green, a calm oasis just off of a busy main road in one of the busiest cities in the world. Gorgeous plants, interesting artwork and water features line the paved walkway uphill towards the museum, itself a stunning historical mansion. There is also a beautiful terrace looking out over the Bosphorus. I could spend hours just relaxing on the grounds.
The inside is clean, quite and impeccable. The Miró exhibit was very well done and laid out over two floors. Staff and security were prevalent but not intrusive at all. The permanent collection includes Turkish art from the Ottoman era to the 50s. The gift shop, the cherry on top of any museum for me, was small but had quality items and I even got a free poster of the Miró exhibit. I thought it would be a nice idea to have lunch at the café on the top floor but the prices were a little too rich for my blood.
Entrance cost is 20TL for adults and 15TL for kids, free on Wednesdays. The museum is closed on Mondays.