Türkiye’s first virtual reality museum, ‘Muzeverse’ opens in Istanbul

Türkiye’s first virtual reality (VR) museum, Muzeverse, will officially open on Nov. 19 at UNIQ Istanbul. The groundbreaking initiative aims to revolutionize the traditional museum experience, offering visitors an unparalleled journey into history using state-of-the-art VR technology.

Established through a collaboration between VR content production company VR Future and French VR company Excurio, the museum’s inaugural exhibit, Journey to the Pyramids: Discovering Ancient Egypt, promises an extraordinary sensory experience.

New dimension of storytelling

Fahad Rehman, founder of VR Future, shared the inspiration behind Muzeverse with the Anadolu Agency, describing it as a project born from his first encounter with the immersive VR concept in Paris two years ago.

“We wanted to create a form of storytelling where visitors could not only hear about history but also feel immersed in it,” Rehman explained. “This approach moves beyond traditional narratives, allowing people to live the theme firsthand. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants describing the experience as exceeding their expectations.”

Rehman emphasized Türkiye’s growing interest in technological advancements:

“I’ve been living in Türkiye for several years and observed how enthusiastic and open Turkish people are to new technologies. This inspired me to make Türkiye the first stop to share my vision with the world. Over the past three years, we’ve developed various VR projects across different Turkish cities, which ultimately led us to establish Muzeverse here.”

Fahad Rehman, founder of VR Future

Why ancient Egypt? A universal connection

The museum’s first theme focuses on Ancient Egypt, which Rehman says resonates universally: “Egyptian pyramids represent timeless technological wonders and offer incredible stories of innovation. We wanted to share these fascinating narratives using VR. Our success in creating such an impactful experience reaffirms that we’re on the right track.”

The museum plans to expand its repertoire, presenting a variety of themes in the future.

Interactive, social VR experience

VR Future co-founder Virgile Mangiavillano described Muzeverse as a “next-generation art form.” Highlighting its ability to host up to 100 visitors simultaneously, Mangiavillano said:

We’ve designed a space where friends can share emotions together. Visitors embark on a 45-minute social experience that allows them to explore while walking through a carefully crafted virtual environment.

VR Future co-founder Virgile Mangiavillano

Mangiavillano also emphasized the museum’s educational mission:
“With Muzeverse, we aim to raise awareness among younger audiences about cutting-edge technology and emerging art forms. That’s why we’ve chosen the slogan ‘A Discovery Through Time.’ Most visitors tell us they’ve never experienced anything like this before, even if they’ve played VR games.”

Muzeverse’s large-scale production effort

Developing Muzeverse involved an international team of writers, designers and technology experts. Collaborating with Excurio, an award-winning VR company operating in seven countries, the museum brings a unique blend of innovation and storytelling to Istanbul.

“This is more than a museum—it’s an exploration of the future of entertainment and education,” Mangiavillano concluded.

Virgile Mangiavillano

Muzeverse is set to redefine the cultural landscape in Türkiye, offering visitors an extraordinary journey through the intersection of history, art and technology.