Hagia Irene opened to visitors

Hagia Irene (Aya Irini), former Byzantine church of 6th century, is opened to public as a museum as of April 2014. The site is located in the first courtyard of Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. 

Entrance to the museum costs 20 Turkish Liras. It's closed on Tuesdays, same as Topkapi palace museum. During summer months it can be visited between 09:00-18:00 (last entry).

Topkapi Palace is the top visited museum in 2013

According to a report issued by the Turkish Travel Agencies Union (TURSAB), nearly 30 million people visited the museums of Turkey in 2013. 

The highest increase in the number of visitors was seen at Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, due to its Harem. While the number of visitors to the Harem exceeded over 1 million people for the first time, the total number of visitors to Topkapı Palace was above 3,397.000 people. Therefore, on the list of the most-visited museums, Topkapi Museum left behind the Hagia Sophia Museum, which topped the list in 2011 and 2012. 

Turkish museums and ancient sites, which hosted nearly 7 million people in the beginning of the 2000s, welcomed 29,533,000 visitors by the end of 2013. According to the data of TURSAB and the Culture and Tourism Ministry, 69% of visitors were foreigners and 31% were Turkish nationals. 

Ice Museum in Istanbul

First Ice Museum of Turkey will be opened in Istanbul on April 23rd, 2010. The "Magic Ice" museum is located inside the Forum Istanbul shopping mall in Bayrampasa district near the Bus Station (Otogar), next to the Turquazoo Aquarium. The museum is built by the Norwegians and is planned to be opened on the Children's Day national holiday on April 23rd. The entrance for adults will cost 20 TL (about 10 euros) and 15 Lira for children.

The indoor museum will stay open all year round and the temperature inside will be constantly around minus 5 degrees Celcius (about 23 Fahrenheit) so at the entrance you'll be given special coats.