Yılmaz Büyükerşen Beeswax Sculptures Museum

Yılmaz Büyükerşen Beeswax Sculptures Museum is Türkiye’s first beeswax sculpture museum, opened to the public on 19 May 2013 in Eskişehir. The museum was established through the initiatives of Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Büyükerşen, and the majority of the beeswax sculptures were crafted personally by Büyükerşen. The museum features a large number of beeswax sculptures of prominent local and international figures, distinguishing itself as both a cultural and tourist attraction.

^{Eskişehir Balmumu Heykeller Müzesi, Atatürk Ailesi balmumu heykelleri.} (Eskişehir İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü)

The museum is the first representative in Türkiye of the type of beeswax sculpture exhibitions found in various parts of the world, such as Madame Tussauds. Its founder, Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Büyükerşen, had previously created beeswax sculptures of Atatürk for locations including Anıtkabir, Samsun, İnebolu, İzmir, Military Academies, and the Naval War College. The majority of the beeswax sculptures displayed in the museum are also his own work.

The museum consists of five distinct halls:

• Hall A: Atatürk and his family, the Turkish War of Independence, Ottoman sultans
• Hall B: Aviation, railways, press, industry, science, sports, foreign leaders, Turkish cinema and music artists
• Hall C: Historical characters
• Hall D: Democracy theme
• Hall E: Personal exhibition of Yılmaz Büyükerşen (education, memorabilia, awards)

^{Eskişehir Balmumu Müzesi - Salon A.} (Eskişehir İl Kültür Turizm Müdürlüğü)

In the museum’s “Live History Scene” section, android silicone figures of Atatürk and İsmet İnönü are displayed with sound and movement. This section also features documentary footage related to the War of Independence and recent history.

Some of the notable individuals represented by sculptures in the museum include:

• Historical Figures: Mehmet II, Selim I, Süleyman I, Hürrem Sultan, Yunus Emre, Battal Gazi, Nasrettin Hoca
• War of Independence and Republican Era: Cengiz Topel, Sabiha Gökçen, Adnan Menderes, Turgut Özal
• Art and Media: Cüneyt Arkın, Barış Manço, Kemal Sunal, Orhan Gencebay, Adile Naşit, Beyazıt Öztürk
• Academia and Literature: İlber Ortaylı, Hıfzı Topuz, Ataol Behramoğlu, Emin Çölaşan

Yılmaz Büyükerşen Beeswax Sculptures Museum has welcomed over three million domestic and international visitors since its opening in 2013 until the beginning of 2024. The museum is open six days a week. Visiting hours are from 10:00 to 17:00 on weekdays and weekends; it is closed on Mondays. Admission to the museum is charged.