İnciraltı Sea Museum, Naval museum in İnciraltı district of İzmir, Turkey.
The İnciraltı Sea Museum is a naval museum on the shore of İzmir Gulf where real military vessels are permanently displayed in the open air. The collection covers a submarine, a frigate, a destroyer, and a helicopter, all moored at docks and open for visitors to board.
The museum opened in 2007 and brought together vessels that were originally built in the United States and later transferred to Turkey. These ships had active careers in the Turkish Navy throughout the second half of the 20th century.
The vessels on display served in the Turkish Navy and are now open for visitors to walk through. On board, you can see the sleeping quarters, navigation stations, and the tight working spaces where crews spent months at sea.
The museum sits in the İnciraltı district on the western edge of İzmir, close to shops and restaurants along the waterfront. Boarding the vessels means climbing steep stairs and passing through narrow hatches, so comfortable shoes and some mobility are helpful.
The submarine on display was originally known as USS Tang and served the US Navy in the Pacific during the Second World War before being handed over to Turkey. It is rare to find a single vessel with service records in two very different navies at the same museum.
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