The floors covered with carpets, bronze dishes, bright full skirt dresses, the smell of baklava and freshly brewed coffee, the sound of prayer coming from the minarets... Those are the associations that arouse when someone starts to talk about non-touristic and authentic Turkey. Places, where you can get acquainted with the local color, are not limited to Istanbul and Ankara. In Antalya, there is the amazing Suna and Inan Kirac Kaleici Museum.

However, we cannot say that the museum is a reflection of the entire country. Only a part of it is represented there. Get ready to see the Turkish luxury. When you enter the museum, you get into the house of a rich sultan. Every room reveals the secrets of the past. The museum exhibitions tell how the residents of Antalya lived several ages ago.

You will be amazed by the colors, textures and shapes of many items. Clothes, serving and interior are made in a very accurate way. You will be immersed in the epoch, thanks to the accompanying music. When you are there, you want to sit on your knees at a low table and enjoy aromatic coffee and lokum with your family.

One of the special features of the museum is that different traditional ceremonies are performed there. For example, Kına gecesi. It is both a merry and a sad event because it is performed several days before the wedding. It is something like a bachelorette party. In a richly decorated room, you will see a bride in a red dress and her friends and other women from her family around her. The bride’s face is covered with henna. The hands and legs of those, who are either married or willing to get engaged, also get covered with henna patterns.

You will stand for a long time near each and every exhibit, peer into every detail to remember them all. Even though the museum is small, when you leave it – the lights of the Kaleiçi district, where the museum is settled, will already be turned on even if you came early.

In the museum, you will see what the life of the rich Ottoman Turks was like. There you get brand-new impressions about Turkey. There comes a desire to learn more about that country.