Art museums in Istanbul reopen with COVID-19 measures

Contemporary art museums in Istanbul reopened to art lovers on June 16 as Turkey continued to ease restrictions against the novel coronavirus. 

The Istanbul Museum of Modern Art (Istanbul Modern), Pera Museum, Sabancı University Sakıp Sabancı Museum and Arter museum are among the contemporary art venues that reopened with measures against the coronavirus after being closed for nearly three months.

Measuring of body temperatures at the entrance, disinfecting hands and wearing masks are among the main compulsory rules at all museums.

With safety measures in place, state-owned museums and archeological sites across Turkey reopened as of June 1, when the country eased lockdown measures.

Istanbul Modern

Istanbul Modern, Turkey's first museum of modern and contemporary art, was temporarily closed to visitors on March 17. The building is regularly sanitized by professional teams amid the virus.

Visits to the museum can be arranged through online reservations on their website or by purchasing tickets with a credit card.

"To offer you a safer and more comfortable museum experience, we have introduced an online reservation system that enables you to reserve a specific time slot for your visit," the museum said on its website.

To ensure safe social distancing, the museum is limiting the number of visitors allowed inside at any one time to 70.

"Please take note of the signs on every floor indicating the maximum number of visitors allowed on that floor," it said.

All training and activities including guided group tours and movie screenings at Istanbul Modern Cinema continue online.

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