The Naval Museum and Library were first established in 1897 inside the Kasımpaşa Military Shipyards. They were moved into a different building within the Shipyards in 1933, first under the name Bahriye Müzesi Müdürlüğü (Directorate of the Naval Museum) and then Deniz Müzesi (Sea Museum). During World War II, its collections were moved to Anatolia for safekeeping, as was done with many other museums. They were brought back to the Divanhane (Office of the Chief Admiral) at the Kasımpaşa Shipyards, where they stayed during the years 1946–1948. In 1948, the collection was once again moved, this time to some buildings south of the Dolmabahçe Mosque under the name Deniz Müzesi ve Arşiv Müdürlüğü (Directorate of the Sea Museum and Archive). Those buildings were torn down when the avenue was broadened in 1956, and the collection was moved into another building near the Dolmabahçe Palace. The museum finally moved into its own quarters in 1961, into the building that formerly housed the Beşiktaş Tax Office. A new section has recently been added, increasing the exhibition space significantly. The museum collections include approximately 4000 objects and 15000 books.