Of interest to science buffs, the didactic exhibition in this museum argues that Islamic advances in science and technology preceded and greatly influenced those in Europe. Most of the exhibits are reconstructions of historical instruments and tools used by astronomers, seafarers and others.
The physics room has some of the best contraptions, including a steam-powered turn-spit, built from notes left by a 16th-century Ottoman scholar, and an 11th-century entertainment machine, which operates a scene of moving figures using water power. Also look out for the models of trebuchet counterweight catapults in the military room, and those of İstanbul's great mosques.
