It was designed under a project co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Turkish Association of Travel Agents (TÜRSAB) to attract visitors to ministry-run museums and archaeological sites around the country. The project was launched on June 18 and since then more than 150,000 people have purchased the card.

The card, marketed under the slogan "The card that takes you from one museum to another" and sold for YTL 20, allows free entrance to 180 museums and 130 archaeological sites for a period of one year. At present the card is only available to Turkish nationals, though there are plans to expand it to foreign tourists too. People have rushed to museums where it is sold and many have visited the Müzekart Web site. The card is also sold by TÜRSAB and its associated agencies. Tolga Yusuf Tuyluoğlu, the director of the Circulating Capital Enterprises Center (DÖSİM), in charge of the implementation of the project at the ministry, stated that the sales figures of the card have already exceeded expectations.

Müzekart stands at shopping centers

The ministry is also planning to implement another program related to the card. To make Müzekart more accessible, sales stands will be opened at major shopping centers. Tuyluoğlu said they had two goals in mind with this project: "First, we want to promote the card. Second, we intend to sell more cards. We are giving the message, 'If you cannot come to museums to buy the card, we will bring it to you.'" The only three locations that cannot be visited with Müzekart are the Harem section of the Topkapı Palace Museum; the Dark Church at the Göreme Open-air Museum in Cappadocia; and the Karyalı Princess Hall at Bodrum Castle. As before, separate tickets will be required to visit these places.

The ministry is also conducting projects geared toward schools. One million cards will be distributed to students, particularly those at primary schools. In Turkey students can already visit museums for free and this is expected to continue in the future. However, by issuing the card to students, the ministry is expecting to raise their awareness of museums and historical places. "We want to make sure that their first card is not a credit card, but a Müzekart," Tuyluoğlu explained. "This project is not limited to Müzekart. This project aims to make people embrace their culture, history and heritage," he added. He noted that the project will have follow-up programs geared toward the promotion of museums and the improvement of services. Museums and historical places will be more easily accessible and they will become alternatives to cultural and social events, he said.


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Further information
Müzekarts are currently available to Turkish citizens only. The cards can be obtained from the ticket windows at museums and historical sites, the Ankara Müzekart Head Office, the DÖSİM İstanbul Operating Directorate, the TÜRSAB head office and selected travel agencies upon the presentation of an ID card. Additionally, one can purchase a card online at www.muzekart.com with a credit card. The cards are sent to applicants' addresses in three days.

Today's Zaman