Istanbul Modern | Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Istanbul

A genuine surprise as we were walking towards the Besiktas (Vodafone) stadium. The enormous cruise ship - equivalent to the size of the QE - initially drew our attention. In order to get through the main square and into the Modern Istanbul complex, we had to pass security through their metal detector and screening checks. It's essentially a Western style shopping centre or mall. All the big brands you'd expect to see in a Birmingham or London shopping centre. It's fused with Turkish restaurants, confectionery stores and a train station inside. There were several levels to the shopping complex. We didn't visit the clothing stores but we did visit Hafiz Mustafa and loved the scenic view of people dining outdoors. It was evident that a certain category of people shop and leisure here hence the security and barricades.

I like this museum but one floor was closed when we were there. The quality and the choice of artwork is perfect and gives a nice perspective of the birth of modern art in Turkey. This building is a temporary one waiting the real big museum opens its door in Galataport area in a few weeks. I think every visitor in Istanbul and also the local art lovers should definitely quit this museum. The price is quite high for non Turkish - yes they discriminate the tourists - for the low number of art work you can currently see.