ISTANBUL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUMS

  Posted on July 18, 2023 By

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The Istanbul Archaeological Museums are three separate museums located together next to the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. These museums, established in the waning days of the Ottoman empire, are the oldest in Turkey, and lay claim to over a million different artifacts from all over the vast ancient Byzantine and Ottoman empires.

Archaeology Museum

For sure the most important of the three, the Archaeology Museum started in 1869 in the Hagia Irene Church which is in the adjacent Topkapi Palace compound. It is said the Ottoman Emperor at the time, Sultan Abdulaziz ordered the creation of this museum following a European trip where he was impressed by several archaeology museums. Its collection expanded in the 1880s under the auspices of Osman Hamdi Bey, the museum director at the time, who led many archaeological expeditions all over Turkey. Today’s collection housed in this museum built in 1891, includes many artifacts such as ancient coins, pottery, statues, tiled mosaics and sarcophagi, some dating as far back as 140 AD.

Here are some of highlights/my personal favorites I recommend you check out:

Alexander Sarcophagus: This sarcophagus was discovered in Sidon, Lebanon in 1887 by Osman Hamdi Bey, the father of Archaeology in Turkey. It dates back to the 4th century AD and was likely to have belonged to a noble or governor and not Alexander the Great himself.

Tabnit Sarcophagus: Created for King Tabnit of Sidon and made in early 5th century BC, this sarcophagus was found near the Alexander Sarcophagus in Sidon. Tabnit’s well preserved body was still in the sarcophagus at the time of discovery. Tabnit’s remains are also a part of the museum’s collection.

Kadesh Peace Treaty: Dating back to the 13th century BC, this terracotta peace treaty between the Egyptians and Hittites following the Battle of Kadesh is considered to be the first ever in the history of the world. This clay tablet version is a copy of the original silver tablets given to each side.

Tablet of a Love Poem: Dating back to 2000BC, this tablet found in Nippur is thought to have the world’s first recorded love poem.

Sidamara Sarcophagus: This sarcophagus, found in 1900 in Konya, weighs 32 tons and dates back to the 3rd century AD.

Istanbul Through the Ages Exhibit: This is not one artefact, but an entire exhibit that provides an excellent snapshot of Istanbul’s vast history at the center of the ancient world.

Besides the exhibits, I found the building itself to be impressive also. It is a preeminent example of neoclassical architecture in Istanbul. Plan on spending about 2 ½ hours wandering the halls of this building taking in all the exhibits at a leisurely pace.

The Tiled Pavilion

Dating back to 1472, this is the oldest building in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum complex. It was built by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror and later renovated following a fire in 1737 by Sultan Abdul Hamit. The whole building consists of six small rooms which show examples of Turkish tiles and ceramics from the Seljuk, Anatolian & Ottoman periods. While interesting and unique, this museum should only take you about 20 minutes to walk through.

The Museum of the Ancient Orient

This building was established as the first academy of fine arts of the Ottoman Empire in 1883, and now houses the Museum of the Ancient Orient, where old oriental works are on display today. The exhibits are from ancient near east countries and are differentiated from the Greek, Roman and Byzantine exhibits in the main Archaeology Museum.

This museum was closed for renovations when I visited in August 2022 and still appears to be closed as I am writing this in July 2023. I hope to check it out next time I’m in Istanbul!

When to go

  • 9am to 8pm April 1 through October 31 (last entry at 7pm)
  • 9am to 6.30pm November 1 through March 31 (last entry at 5.30pm)

How to get there

  • Walk downhill from the West side of Topkapi Palace’s first court. The museum entrance will be on your right.
  • Take a short walk from Sultanahmet Square to Gulhane Park. If you are taking the Kabataş-Bağcılar tram line, get off at the Gulhane stop. Walk uphill from the main gate of Gulhane Park. The museum entrance will be on your left before you get to Topkapi Palace.

What it will cost

  • It was 100TL when I visited (if you did not have a Museum Pass), with an additional 50TL for an audio tour.
  • Free for children up to 8 years for international tourists.
  • Free for Turkish children up to 18 years.
  • I recommend checking the website for current pricing.

The Istanbul Archaeology Museums house a superb collection of archaeological and artistic artefacts from all over and should be on every first time Istanbul visitor’s itinerary. I highly recommend you spend some time there and let us know what you think in the comments below!

Here’s who helped

While I ONLY write about places that I have visited, I get more information on these places from others, both for my edification and yours. Here are the online resources I used when writing this post.

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