After Istanbul, Ankara and Cunda, a new one has been added to the Rahmi M. Koç museums. Ayvalık Rahmi M. Koç Museum fascinates its visitors with its unique space and extensive collection.

Görkem Baygın, Setur Marinas Ayvalık Front Office Representative

Ayvalık, the pearl of the Aegean, has always been one of Rahmi M. Koç's favorite places. Having previously established a museum and the Sevim and Necdet Kent Library in the Taksiyarhis Church in Cunda, this time Koç gave life to a museum similar to the one in the Golden Horn in the center of Ayvalık.

In fact, Ayvalık Rahmi M. Koç Museum opened its doors to its first visitors on January 19, but with the events organized in May, the museum was once again at the top of the cultural news. The two-day events were attended by many valuable names of Ayvalık, Koç Holding Board of Directors and their guests.

The process of establishing the museum begins with the purchase of the olive oil and soap factory, one of the most important industrial heritages of Ayvalık with a 200-year history, by Rahmi Koç in 2021. The factory, which was built by placing wooden floor beams inside masonry walls, consisting of two sections, the oil house and the soap house, reached its best state in the 50s and was out of use in the early 2000s. After 20 years, the factory was restored by Ark İnşaat A.Ş. using original materials and preserving the construction technique.

As soon as you step into the museum, you are greeted with classic automobiles, motorcycles, baby carriages and steam engine models on the ground floor. The exhibition area on the upper floor includes valuable locomotive models, toys and maritime objects. Unlike other Rahmi M. Koç museums, archaeological artifacts are also exhibited here. During the time you spend in the museum, you are transported to another era, almost living in the period of the artifacts.

The museum can be visited between 10.00-17.00, except Mondays, and the café by the sea is a pleasant place that visitors will not be able to leave once they sit down. There is also a souvenir shop at the entrance of the museum.

Ayvalık Rahmi M. Koç Museum has already become one of the must-see cultural assets of Ayvalık. Moreover, the places that Rahmi M. Koç has created in Ayvalık deserve a cultural tour on their own.

Photographs: Görkem Baygın