Istanbul Aquarium is a recreation area located within the borders of Şenlikköy (Florya) neighborhood of Bakırköy district on the European side of the city. Announced as a project of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in 2003, the tender for the construction of the aquarium was held in the city hall in Saraçhane in the same year. The construction was extended until June 2011, as changes were made in the design both during the project and during the construction phase. Istanbul Aquarium was opened on June 25, 2011 and was visited free of charge for three days and 50% discount for one week.

Istanbul Aquarium project started to be built on a 100-decare land on the Florya coast, adjacent to Atatürk Marine Mansion. The total size of the projected area was calculated as 22 thousand square meters. There are 64 water tanks with a capacity of 6,800 cubic meters of water in the building, which consists of two floors. 16 different themes were applied by considering a geographical route to the aquarium.[6] In addition, there is an artificial rainforest decoration within the aquarium complex. In addition to sea creatures, reptiles and rodents native to the tropics will also be featured here. Each applied theme will be decorated with geographical, historical, cultural and visual elements that reflect that region; movie screenings will be supported by games and graphics. The themed sections that will take place in the aquarium are as follows:

Black Sea

Bosphorus

Hellespont

Aegean

Suez Canal

Red Sea

Global warming

Mediterrenian

Straits of Gibraltar

East Atlantic (sunken ship)

Mid-Atlantic

West Atlantic

Panama Canal

Pacific

Nautilus (submarine)

Rain forest

There are also science center, activity areas, children's entertainment sections, movie theaters, cafeterias, kiosks, restaurants and shops within the aquarium complex. The average stay of visitors at the facility is planned to be 5-6 hours. It is predicted that the annual number of visitors will be 2.5 million on average, both domestically and abroad.

During the promotional trips, it was stated that a total of 15,000 creatures from 1,500 different species would live in the facility.[1] Although most of them are sea creatures to be exhibited in water tanks; The rainforest themed section will also feature poison frogs, crocodiles, giant rodents and snakes. 6 thousand square meters of exhibition area reserved for visitors within the aquarium complex; There is a 1.2 kilometer excursion route and a 35 thousand square meter parking area with a capacity of 1,200 vehicles.