Türkiye’s first VR museum ‘MuzeVerse’ offers new way to explore history

MuzeVerse, Türkiye’s first virtual reality (VR) museum, provides visitors with an immersive opportunity to explore pivotal moments in history like never before.

Located in UNIQ Istanbul, this groundbreaking museum is a collaboration between VR Future, a virtual content production company, and the French VR company Excurio.

A journey through ancient Egypt

On November 19, 2024, the museum opened its doors with a captivating VR experience titled “Journey to the Pyramids: The Discovery of Ancient Egypt,” which takes visitors on a virtual trip back 4,500 years to witness King Khufu’s funeral procession and explore the secret chambers of the Great Pyramid, Sphinx, and the Giza Plateau.

Bringing past to life through virtual reality

Virgile Mangiavillano, Co-Founder of VR Future, told Anadolu Agency that the museum’s goal is to give art enthusiasts the chance to experience the future of museum curation. “The concept of a virtual reality museum emerged three years ago during a conversation with Excurio’s CEO in France. From there, we decided to bring this technology and concept to Türkiye. There are similar VR museums in eight countries, including China, the U.S., and France, but this is the first in Türkiye,” Mangiavillano explained.

The “Journey to the Pyramids” experience took 2.5 years to complete, with a team of about 50 people involved in creating the VR content. The museum offers this experience in four languages: Turkish, English, French, and Chinese. Visitors can enjoy it in a simultaneous, immersive way with up to 100 visitors at a time.

Blurring line between reality and virtual reality

Mangiavillano emphasized that virtual reality opens up new horizons for storytelling. “We offer exploration and interactivity that traditional museums do not,” he said. “Everything here is interactive. Our relationship with reality can change after experiencing such a VR journey. To help with this transition, we’ve created a listening room where visitors can reconnect with reality after their 45-minute virtual experience. This moment is crucial as we blur the boundaries between reality and virtual space.”

Looking ahead, MuzeVerse plans to showcase Türkiye’s cultural heritage in other countries. “After producing content about Türkiye, we aim to distribute it to other nations. We are currently undecided on the theme, but it could focus on the Ottoman period, Hagia Sophia, or even Gobeklitepe,” said Mangiavillano. The museum plans to expand its reach with 40 different locations across other countries this year.

A unique experience at MuzeVerse: Floating on the Nile

Visitor Emine Kagitci shared her excitement: “We were thrilled to explore Egyptian civilization in a virtual environment. I’ve never experienced anything like this before, and I was deeply moved. Floating on the Nile was incredible. The 45-minute experience was very comfortable.”

Another visitor, Nursel Sahin, who had never visited Egypt, commented, “I haven’t been to Egypt yet, but this was a beautiful experience. I have a fear of heights, so it was a bit unsettling at times, but overall, everything was amazing. Being on top of the pyramid was one of the most stunning moments.”

Opening doors to future of museum experiences

MuzeVerse combines cutting-edge virtual reality technology with historical storytelling, offering visitors a chance to immerse themselves in key moments from history.

The museum is open from 12:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. on weekdays, excluding Mondays, and from 11:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. on weekends.