Dokuma Park -Open Air Museum Historical buildings brought to life in miniature display

If beautiful architecture excites you, this week’s Dokuma Park installment is for you!! How fun would it be to travel throughout the history of Turkey to see some of its most inspiring architectural wonders without having to leave Antalya? Dokuma Park’s Open Air Museum offers just that by bringing some magnificent historical wonders to life in miniature display.

What does it offer?

Taking a stroll through the Open Air Museum is a fascinating glimpse at Anatolian history. Covering around 10,000 square meters, a path leads you through different structures – ancient and modern. Eighty-four miniature and true-to-life buildings from Anatolian civilizations dot the tree-lined paths. The tiny buildings are 1/25 of their actual size. Ottoman palaces and homes, Byzantine churches, Islamic mosques, and ancient temple sites fill the park and provide an up-close and intricate look at their magnificence.

Insider Tips

• It is an open air museum, which logically means it is all outside. There is some shade, but it will still be very hot during the warmest part of the day. Bring water and sunscreen in the summer.
• We would not go to Dokuma Park just to see the Open Air Museum. However, if you are there, it is an interesting way to spend 20-30 minutes.
• If you enjoy history, we recommend having a phone handy so you can google some of the historic landmarks. We have lived in Turkey for over nine years and have traveled a lot, but were still unfamiliar with a few of the landmarks.
• Most children under the age of 10 will not be entertained by these miniature buildings because you cannot touch them or climb on them. If you are lucky, there will be street cats who provide giggles because they look like giants compared to the tiny churches, mosques and palaces. The juxtaposition of gigantic slumbering kittens next to the itty-bitty Hagia Sophia is entertaining and Instagram worthy, for sure.
• Plan on visiting some of the other interesting exhibits and museums that Dokuma Park has to offer while you are there. (Children’s Train Library, Forest Library, Cemil Meriç LIbrary )

Getting there

Dokuma Park is easy to find by personal car between Erasta Mall and Özdilek Mall. There is a large parking lot on the west side that gives you easy entrance to the park, but the Open Air Museum is actually on the east side of the park. If you enter on the west side, follow the signs for the Açık Hava Müzesi by walking straight through the park.

If you want to take public transportation, the Fatih-Expo or Havalamanı tram goes right by the east side of the park. Get off at the Dokuma stop and follow the signs once you enter the park.

Address:  Fabrikalar, Dokumapark, Namık Kemal Blv. No:225, 07090 Kepez/Antalya

Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 11:00am – 6:00pm (as of Spring 2022)

Cost: Free