This slick museum (Rahmi M Koc Museum) was founded by the head of the Koç industrial group to exhibit artifacts from İstanbul’s industrial past. Its collection is highly eclectic, giving the impression of being a grab-bag of cool stuff collected over the decades or stuff that has been donated to the museum by individuals, organisations or companies at a loss as to what else to do with it. This might sound as if we’re damning the place with faint praise, but this is certainly not the case. In fact, this is a corker of a museum that children in particular will love.

The Rahmi M Koc Museumis in two superbly restored sections: a historic docklands by the Golden Horn and a one -time Ottoman foundry opposite. Exhibits are largely concerned with forms of transport: a horse-drawn tram; an Amphicar (half car, half boat) that crossed the English Channel in 1962; Sultan Abdül Aziz’s ornate railway coach; cars (everything from ugly Turkish Anadol models to fabulous pink Cadillacs); and a 1960 Messerschmitt. Other exhibits look at how appliances work and illustrate mechanical principles – young children in particular will love the levers, buttons and pulleys of these hands-on exhibits.

On weekends the historic Liman II tugboat takes 40-minute tours of the Golden Horn (ticket €5.50) at 1pm, 2.30pm, 4pm and 5.30pm.

Unlike most of the city’s museums, wheelchair access is offered throughout the complex and excellent interpretive panels in Turkish and English are provided. A private guide costs € 25. There are two excellent restaurants (Halat restaurant, overlooking the Golden Horn, is the perfect spot for lunch), a café and a bar. The submarine exhibit, from which children under eight years of age are barred, requires an extra ticket (€2.50/1.50).

The museum is a 10-minute walk southeast of the Sütlüce ferry stop.