We invite you thousands of years ago, to the world of ancient civilizations in this magnificent place where you step to discover the historical richness of Istanbul. The Istanbul Archeology Museum is ready to impress and amaze you with its world heritage collection. The Istanbul Archeology Museum is located in the heart of the city, right next to Sultanahmet Square.
You can spend more time thanks to the museum being divided into three sections. Now let's learn about what we will see by talking about the three different sections of this museum.
The Archaeological Museum
This section is an area where works from the Ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine periods are exhibited. Many ancient artifacts such as statues, sarcophagi, coins and ceramics obtained from excavations in Anatolia and surrounding countries are located here.
Osman Hamdi Bey brought many artifacts to Istanbul with the excavations he carried out in various places, including the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great. The museum contains works from prehistoric times to the Ottoman Period. Featured artifacts such as the Tomb of "Crying Women" (Sarcophagus of the mourning women), the Lycia Tomb and the Tabnit Tomb are also exhibited.
The Museum of Ancient Oriental Art
In the magnificent corridors of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, the Ancient Orient Museum section hosts a unique collection reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the wide geography. This unique area light on the deep history of the Middle East and its surroundings.
The museum is full of rare artifacts from a wide geography stretching from the pre-Islamic Arabian Peninsula to Anatolia, from Egypt to Mesopotamia. Artifacts from the pre-Islamic Arabian Peninsula are enriched with sculptures and ceramics reflecting the religious and cultural life of the region. Mesopotamian Artifacts attract attention with important works bearing the traces of humanity's first civilizations. Unique artifacts such as the Stele of Akkadian King Naramsin, the Treaty of Kadesh, and the Ishtar Gate are also included in this section.
The Tiled Pavilion Museum
The Tiled Pavilion Museum, the oldest building in the Istanbul Archaeological Museums complex, was built by Mehmed the Conqueror. It welcomes its visitors with its architecture reflecting the Persian style and a columned portico decorated with magnificent mosaic tiles. The pavilion contains many examples of Turkish tiles and ceramics from the Seljuk and Ottoman periods.
The interior of the Tiled Pavilion attracts attention with its six rooms and central hall filled with rare examples of Turkish tiles and ceramics. The museum's rich collection includes approximately 2000 works dating back to the 11th-20th centuries. In particular, works such as the tile mihrab of Karamanoglu Ibrahim Bey Imaret, dated 1432, and the Ab-i Hayat Fountain, built in 1590, impress visitors.
The Tiled Pavilion section of the Istanbul Archeology Museum opens its doors to those who want to discover the rich cultural and architectural heritage of Istanbul. Here, you can look through a window at the glorious days of the Ottoman Empire and meet magnificent examples of Turkish art.