Table of Contents
Istanbul Archeology Museum With its historical heritage and millions of artifacts it contains, it is extremely important for both the world and Turkey. In our opinion, it should be in the first place in the list of must-see museums of Istanbul and Turkey. Istanbul Archeology Museum has played a very important role in the development of museology in our country. In addition, the Istanbul Archeology Museum is the first museum of Istanbul.
Inherited from the Ottoman period, this world-class museum is a must-see for travelers interested in culture and art. There is a wide range of artifacts covering the lands of the Ottoman Empire stretching from Europe to Africa in the museum, which has an eye-catching magnificence.
Information About Istanbul Archeology Museum
Istanbul Archeology Museum, inherited from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic of Turkey, gathers the first museum studies in our country. The Istanbul Archeology Museum, which pioneered the institutional emergence of museology in a systematic way, was established in 1869 as the ‘Museum-i Hümayun’, that is, the Imperial Museum.
As a result of the appointment of Osman Hamdi Bey, the son of Grand Vizier Edhem Pasha, as the museum director in 1881, a breakthrough was made in Turkish museology. Osman Hamdi Bey; He has excavated in various places such as Myrina Ancient City, Kyme Ancient City, Lagina Hecate Ancient City, Mount Nemrut, and collected valuable artifacts from here in the museum
Osman Hamdi Bey, who reached the Kings Necropolis as a result of his studies between 1887-1888 in Sayda, which is located around Lebanon today, also brought the Alexander Sarcophagus, whose fame spread all over the world, to the museum.
Architectural Features of the Istanbul Archeology Museum
The Istanbul Archeology Museum, which has a special place among Istanbul museums, looks magnificent with its monumental structure and façade decorations. The entrances, which are reached by wide stairs on the front, are separated by columns. The pediment above the entrance also adds a different air to its visuality, and on the upper side of this pediment, ‘Ancient Artifacts Museum’ is written in Ottoman.
The north wing in 1903 and the south wing in 1907 were added to the Istanbul Archeology Museum, and as a result of these additions, the museum took its present form. In 1969, an additional building was built on the southeast side due to the need for an exhibition hall.
Istanbul Archeology Museum, which hosts different artifacts from civilizations that left traces in various periods of history, is among the top 10 museums designed and used as museum buildings all over the world.
In addition to the Archeology Museum, this place also includes the Museum of Ancient Oriental Works and the Tiled Kiosk Museum.
Museum of Ancient Oriental Works
The Museum of Ancient Oriental Works was built in 1883 under the name of Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi Alisi (Fine Arts Academy) upon Osman Hamdi Bey’s request and was used as a school for a long time. Later, when the Academy moved to the Cağaloğlu side, this place was converted into a museum between 1917-1919.
The main reason for the building to be used as a museum is the desire to exhibit the old and important cultural documents of the Near East countries to the public. In the Museum of Ancient Oriental Works; Many pieces from Arabia, Mesopotamia and Anatolia are on display.
The Arabian and Egyptian artifacts exhibited in the Museum of Ancient Oriental Art belong to the pre-Islamic periods of the Arabian Peninsula, while the Mesopotamian and Anatolian artifacts belong to the pre-Greek periods.
Tiled Kiosk Museum
Tiled Kiosk is a mansion built in 1472 and located inside the outer walls of Topkapi Palace. The building, designed with the Seljuk influence, is one of the special works of Ottoman architecture in Istanbul.
The building, which was restored in 1953 due to the 500th anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul, was used as the Fatih Museum for a while. The building, which was used to exhibit Turkish, Islamic and Ottoman tiles, was attached to the Istanbul Archaeological Museums in 1981. There are around 2000 artifacts from the Seljuk and Ottoman periods in the collection of the Tiled Kiosk Museum.
The tiles that adorn the inside and outside of the mansion are mostly white, brown, dark blue and turquoise. The Tiled Kiosk Museum, which also contains distinguished examples of Çanakkale and Kütahya ceramics, is a beauty that complements Topkapı Palace.
Istanbul Archeology Museum Entrance Fee 2023
Entrance ticket fee of Istanbul Archeology Museum 100 TL, but if you have a Müzekart, it’s different. With Müzekart, you can visit more than 300 museums and historical sites affiliated to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as many times as you want for a year. This application includes the Istanbul Archeology Museum.
Academic faculty members who are citizens of the Republic of Turkey and students over the age of 18 can buy the Müzekart for 30 TL. For non-academic faculty members or students, the cost of issuing a Müzekart is 60 TL.
Where is Istanbul Archeology Museum
The Istanbul Archeology Museum, which is affiliated to the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, is located in the historical district of Istanbul, Sultanahmet. Located very close to the famous Gülhane Park, located between Topkapı Palace and Sarayburnu, the museum awaits its visitors on Osman Hamdi Bey Slope.
In addition to its breathtakingly beautiful collections, this place also has a natural and historical value with its garden. Therefore, when you come here, there is an area where you can relax with pleasure, keep in mind.
How to get there
Transportation to Istanbul Archeology Museum is very easy. You can reach the museum, which is very close to Gülhane Park, by the Eminönü-Kabataş tram line. If you are coming from the Anatolian side, you can first go to Eminönü by ferry and use the tramway from there. Of course, if you want, you can choose to walk from Eminönü to the sights of old Istanbul.
Entrance Fees
Entry Fees 100 TL
Visiting hours 09:00 – 18:30
