Located in Bornova, İzmir, the Arkas Maritime History Center was opened in 2012 in a building dating back to the 1800s, with the aim of presenting the history of maritime navigation and the development of the maritime industry. A selection from the collection of ship models, paintings, and maritime antiques, assembled over more than 30 years with great care in line with Arkas Holding Chairman Lucien Arkas’s passion for maritime history and art, is exhibited at the Center.
Bringing to life the history of seafaring from 3000 BC to the twentieth century, the Arkas Maritime History Center is home not only to ship models that recreate vessels which left their mark on history, but also to paintings depicting significant events and heroes from Turkish and world history, as well as maritime antiques.

Founder’s Message
The sea and everything connected with it has fascinated me throughout my life. Years ago, I saw a model of the HMS Victory made by Engin Alsan at an exhibition, and it left a profound impression on me. That was when I placed the order for my first ship model. Over time, this interest grew into a passion, and after more than 30 years, it led me to build a collection of ship models representing vessels that have left their mark on history.
Crafted by master artisans, each model has brought the legendary ships of its era back to life. I would like to once again express my gratitude to our master model makers Metin Gürkan, Bedri Selay, Ergin Bürge, Azmi Beydeş, Nezih Bekat, Alpay Türkekul, Coşkun Güreli, and the late Engin Alsan.

Over the years, we began exhibiting these models in the buildings of Arkas Holding and its affiliated companies. At the same time, we continued to enrich the collection with new models, maritime antiques, and paintings depicting the sea and ships.
I consider this collection, which gives tangible form to centuries of maritime heritage, to be of great importance both in shedding light on history and in demonstrating the development of the maritime industry. For this reason, I wanted to bring the collection to life in a dedicated venue where it could be shared with a wider audience.
The ship models and paintings, which vividly portray the course of maritime history from 3000 BC to the present day, take visitors on a journey from one story to another, while also offering an opportunity to appreciate the beauty created through art, craftsmanship, talent, and patience.

It gives me great pleasure to see all these works brought together at the Arkas Maritime History Center.

Lucien Arkas
Chairman of Arkas Holding