The National Art Gallery was established in 1948. The building of the National Art Gallery is situated on the site of the former town-hall of the Beylerbeylik of Rumelia.

The Foreign Art Gallery was built on the site of the former Royal Printing Office (Proshekova), destroyed during the bombing in 1943.

It was erected in honour of Russian Emperor Alexander II and his army who gave over 200 000 victims during the Russian-Turkish Liberation War (1877-1878).