Istanbul Archaeological Museums is a museum complex consisting of three main units: Archaeological Museum, Ancient Oriental Works Museum and Tiled Kiosk Museum. The Archaeological Museum, which is the first museum in Turkey, has a collection of more than one million artifacts from various cultures brought from the imperial lands.
In 1887-1888, a need arose for a museum building where important artifacts such as the Alexander Sarcophagus and the Tabnit Sarcophagus, brought to Istanbul from the Sidon (Sidon, Lebanon) Royal Necropolis Excavations, which were considered the most important discovery of the period, could be exhibited. Thereupon, the Archaeological Museum, founded under the leadership of archaeologist, painter and curator Osman Hamdi Bey and named Müze-i Hümayun (Imperial Museum), was opened to visitors on June 13, 1891.
The structure was built by the famous architect of the period, Alexandre Vallaury, and the left and right wings were added in 1903 and 1908, forming today’s Main Museum Building. The works in the exhibition halls in the Main Building are exhibited in chronological order with an emphasis on the ancient center.
These works include the Weeping Women Sarcophagus, Tabnit Sarcophagus, Alexander Sarcophagus from the Sidon Royal Necropolis Excavation; the Branchite statues, Kore and Kouros (young girl and boy) statues from the Didyma-Miletus Sacred Road from the Archaic Age to the end of the Roman Age, the Lion Statue from the Halicarnassus Mausoleum; the head of Aphrodite from the famous Pergamon Zeus Altar, the portrait of Alexander the Great; and the sculptures found in the three great marble cities of the Roman period, Aphrodisias, Ephesus and Miletus.
Halls 1, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 on the ground floor of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums Directorate buildings and all of the halls on the upper floor; the “Assos Exhibition Hall” and “Istanbul’s Surrounding Cultures: Thrace, Bithynia – Byzantium” exhibition halls on the ground floor of the Annex Building are closed to visitors.
Many unique works and materials such as ancient sculptures, Egyptian artifacts, and the Kadesh Treaty are exhibited in the museum. The museum is located in Osman Hamdi Bey Hill, Gülhane district. Istanbul Archaeological Museums Entrance Fee: The Istanbul Archaeological Museums entrance fee is 340 TL as of 2023. However, you can also enter the museum with a Museum Card.
Istanbul Archaeological Museums is a museum complex consisting of three main units: Archaeological Museum, Ancient Orient Museum and Tiled Kiosk Museum.
Excerpts from Ancient Artifacts from Exhibitions at the Istanbul Archaeological Museum
Hermes, Thrace.
Hermaphroditus Statue, Pergamon.
Archaic Temple Pediment, Assos Behramkale.
Ancient Greek Exhibition.
Siloam Inscription.
Relief of the Praying Virgin Mary.
Statue of Roman Emperor Valentinian II.
Governor of Mari Puzur Ishtar.
The Ottoman inscription on the pediments of the doors at the entrance to the museum reads “Asar-ı Atika Müzesi” (Museum of Ancient Works).2
The king's sarcophagus and mummy are located in the Sidon King Necropolis hall of the Istanbul Archaeological Museum.
In fact, it takes 3-4 hours to properly tour the Istanbul Archaeological Museum building, taking a coffee break at the museum cafe. You can also allocate around 30-45 minutes for the Tiled Kiosk. The Museum of Ancient Oriental Works is currently closed because it is under restoration.
Istanbul Archaeological Museum is open to visitors 7 days a week.
In order to preserve the artifacts collected here, Osman Hamdi Bey had the building known today as the Istanbul Archaeological Museums built by drawing plans from Architect Alexandre Vallaury. This building was the first to be designed as a museum building in Turkey and began to welcome visitors in 1891 under the name of “Müze-i Hümayun”.
In addition to being the 3rd largest archaeological museum in the world, it is a very important place in terms of the rare works it contains.
Istanbul Archaeological Museum: Free on Mondays. Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum free on Mondays. Istanbul Modern Art Museum: Entry is free on Thursdays between 18:00-20:00. Pera Museum is open to visitors free of charge on Thursdays between 18:00-22:00.
Photos and videos can be taken as long as they are without flash.
The most important events of daily life in the Persian world were hunting, war and funeral feasts. The Persians were so devoted to their traditions that they would depict these subjects on their works in order to express and continue their habits in their daily lives even after their death.
As of 2024, the entrance fee to the Istanbul Archaeological Museum is 340 TL.
Later, due to the Academy being moved to Cağaloğlu, upon the order of Halil Edhem Bey, this school was converted into a museum between 1917 and 1919. The reason for converting it into a museum was to exhibit to the public the old cultural documents of the Near Eastern countries that were considered important.
Tabnit Sarcophagus.
Tortoise Trainer.
Alexander Sarcophagus.
Treasures of Troy.
Sphinxes.
Istanbul Ceramics.
Pointing out that the Istanbul Archaeological Museums was the first museum of the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey, established under the name of Müze-i Hümayun, Asal explained that there are nearly 1 million inventory works in the building, which is equivalent to the history of museums.
This academy, which would later form the foundations of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, was the first fine arts school opened in the Ottoman Empire. The architect of the building was Alexander Vallaury, who also built the Classical building of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums.
There are usually various rules and restrictions regarding taking photos in museums. There are two reasons for this. First, the flash light damages the works of art, and second, copyright problems.
ISTANBUL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUMS Museum Card is valid for Turkish Republic citizens. OpenNOTE: The north wing of the museum, Tiled Kiosk, Ancient Oriental Works Section are closed due to exhibition arrangement works.
It is the oldest building in Turkey built as a museum. It was founded in the mid-19th century by the Minister of Education Mehmed Esad Safvet Pasha under the name of Müze-i Hümâyûn in 1869, and the construction of the main building was completed and opened to visitors on 13 June 1891.
The museum's collection includes works from civilizations within the borders of the Ottoman Empire, from the Balkans to Africa, from Anatolia and Mesopotamia to the Arabian Peninsula and Afghanistan. The museum is called the Istanbul Archaeological Museums because it consists of three main units.
Archaeological Museum (main building)
Museum of Ancient Oriental Works
Tiled Kiosk Museum
In 1881, a new era began in Turkish museums with the appointment of Osman Hamdi Bey, the son of Grand Vizier Edhem Pasha, as the museum director.
Osman Hamdi Bey carried out excavations at Mount Nemrut, Kyme, Marina and other Aeolian Necropolises and the Lagina Hekate Temple and collected the artifacts obtained from these sites to be exhibited in the Istanbul Archaeological Museums. As a result of the excavations he conducted in Saida, Lebanon in 1887-1888, he reached the Necropolis of the Kings and returned to Istanbul with many important sarcophagi, including the world-famous Alexander Sarcophagus.
It is truly a magnificent museum. I entered with the digital museum card I received via e-government. The authorized personnel are attentive. The interior, which serves as a museum, is quite large and full. The statues, sarcophagi and other objects inside are structures worth seeing. I liked the ground floor of the museum more than the second floor. But overall, it is a beautiful museum and definitely a place to see. I highly recommend it. Also, although it was Sunday and at noon, it was not too crowded.
I went there specifically to see the artifacts from the Sumerian and Hittite periods, but unfortunately I couldn't see these artifacts because this section was under renovation.
The museum has a well-composed periodic display and a navigation plan that is in line with the historical flow, so it can be experienced without confusion and without the need for too much guidance.
The thing that bothered me the most and that I found funny was that the direction signs indicating the Archaeological Museum and the toilet were placed side by side, as I shared in the photo. I found it funny and absurd because it didn't give an equivalent guidance impression.
Nowadays, most of it is closed due to restoration. But you can go there even for the sarcophagi, Roman emperors, Alexander the Great and Olympus god statues.
Smoking is prohibited in all parts of the museum, including the garden.
The interactive screen on the way to the Troy room and the coin room on the upper floor adds a different atmosphere to the museum. If you have a museum card, you don't have to wait in line. You can also get a virtual card from the museum card application and enter. You also get a card at the door, but you'll have to wait in line for nothing.
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