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The Istanbul Archaeology Museums (İstanbul Arkeoloji Müzeleri) are a collection of three archaeological museums in Istanbul, Turkey.
Introduction to the Istanbul Archaeology Museums
The Istanbul Archaeology Museums include finds from archaeological sites all over Turkey and lands once occupied by the Ottoman Empire. If you’re visiting Turkey and can’t make it to some of the wonderful archaeological sites around the country, this is an excellent place to visit. It’s also worth visiting before or after seeing the archaeological sites in person because it brings things full circle and allows you to understand more about each site. The museum campus is included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Historic Areas of Istanbul.
This post consists mostly of photos and very little information. On my last visit to the museum in May 2022, I was leading a tour group and had to move through fairly quickly. Also, many galleries were still under renovation and not yet open to the public. On a future visit, I’ll be able to take my time.
Next time I have a chance to visit, I’ll rewrite this post to include more useful information on each gallery and the artifacts presented. Hopefully everything will be open by then as well. For the time being, there will be only this somewhat disorganized post with photos in random order.
History of the Istanbul Archaeology Museums
The Istanbul Archaeology Museums can trace their origin to the Imperial Museum (Müze-i Hümayun), which was established in 1869 by Sultan Abdülaziz. It was located at Hagia Eirine and was the first official museum of the Ottoman Empire. The collection moved to the Tiled Kiosk (Çinili Köşk) between 1875 and 1891.
On September 4, 1881, Ottoman archaeologist and painter Osman Hamdi Bey (1842-1910) was named the first curator of the museum. He got to work quickly developing the museum, rewriting the country’s antiquity laws, and creating nationally sponsored archaeological expeditions.
Over the years museum eventually went on to sponsor several more archaeological excavations and acquire artifacts to greatly expand the collection.
Visiting the Istanbul Archaeology Museums
Admission to the Istanbul Archaeology Museums is €15 for foreigners (as of August 2024), and an audioguide is available for an extra fee. The museum campus is located between Gülhane Park and Topkapi Palace, and sits within what was once the grounds of the palace. The museums are open daily. Check the official website for more info.
Istanbul Archaeology Museum
The Istanbul Archaeology Museum is housed in the main building on the museum campus. Due to lack of space in the Tiled Kiosk, in 1881 construction on a new purpose-built museum began under Osman Hamdi Bey.
The building was designed by Ottoman French architect Alexander Vallaury (1850-1921) and is one of the finest examples of Neoclassical architecture in the city. The design was inspired by the Alexander Sarcophagus and the Sarcophagus of the Mourning Women, which are both on display inside. The official opening of the new museum building was held on June 13th, 1891. The north and south wings were added in 1903 and 1907.
On the pediment above the entrance to the building is an inscription in Ottoman Turkish that translates to Museum of Antiquities (Asar-ı Atika Müzesi). The tughra on the inscription belongs to Abdülhamid II, who was the sultan at the time it was built.
Exterior Exhibition
Just outside the building are rows of sarcophagi. They date to the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods.
Roman Period Galleries
Once inside the museum, visitors are directed to the ground floor of the south wing. The galleries display findings from the Roman period.
Troy Exhibit at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum
The Troy exhibit at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum is on the first floor of the south wing extension. It includes findings from the ancient city of Troy.
Archaeology 101
At the end of the exhibit is an excellent mock archaeological excavation with an example of a lab. It allows visitors to understand the painstaking process taken to unearth artifacts found in museums.
Hellenistic Period Galleries
The first floor of the south wing situated in the main building contains finds from the Hellenistic period. The artifacts come from several different cities in Anatolia and Greece.
Jewelry Exhibit
On the north wing of the first floor situated in the main building is a gallery displaying jewelry from the Hellenistic through the Byzantine periods.
Numismatic Collection
The final gallery open on the first floor is just past the jewelry exhibit. It includes Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman coins. The extension of the north wing was closed to visitors.
Sarcophagi at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum
The north wing of the ground floor contains the sarcophagi, which are the most spectacular items at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum. I’ll start below with some of the most important finds and finish with general photos of the exhibit.
Sidon Necropolis
The finds from the Sidon Necropolis are the most important artifacts on display at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum. The sarcophagi were discovered in 1887 by Osman Hamdi Bey and his partner, Ottoman Armenian sculptor Yervant Voskan (1855-1914). Voskan was in charge of restorations.
Alexander Sarcophagus
The Alexander Sarcophagus, which is the most famous artifact in the Istanbul Archaeology Museum, was one of those important discoveries in Sidon. It dates back to the late 4th century BC, specifically between 312 and 307 BC, and is in excellent condition. The sarcophagus is decorated with bas-relief carvings of Alexander the Great along with historical and mythological scenes.
It’s unknown who was buried in the Alexander Sarcophagus but it may have belonged to Abdalonymus (d. 311 BC), a gardener of royal descent who was made King of Sidon by Alexander the Great in 332 BC.
The Alexander Sarcophagus was made of Pentelic marble and originally painted in bright colors. Some of the faded colors can still be seen.
Sarcophagus of the Mourning Women
The Sarcophagus of the Mourning Women is another interesting find from the Sidon Necropolis. It features the depictions of 18 women crying for the deceased inside. The sarcophagus was most likely imported from Greece and is dated somewhere between 350 BC and 320 BC.
Lycian Sarcophagus
The Lycian sarcophagus resembles the shape of Lycian tombs. It was made of Parian marble and dates between 430 BC and 420 BC. The sarcophagus is decorated with reliefs depicting a boar hunt and lion hunt on the sides, and fighting centaurs and sphinxes on the ends. It was the lowest tomb in the Sidon Necropolis.
Tabnit Sarcophagus
The Tabnit sarcophagus is one of the most intriguing finds from the Sidon Necropolis. It was discovered in 1887 by American Presbyterian minister William King Eddy. Osman Hamdi Bey beat the British Museum to the site and completed the excavation. The sarcophagus contains two separate and unrelated inscriptions – one in Egyptian hieroglyphics and one in Phoenician script. The Phoenician inscription contains a curse for those who open the tomb, promising impotency and loss of an afterlife.
The Tabnit sarcophagus, which was made in the 6th century BC, belonged to Tabnit, the Phoenician King of Sidon. When the sarcophagus was opened, his body was found in near perfect condition, except for his face and neck, floating in the original embalming fluid. Osman Hamdi Bey’s team spilled out all the fluid and left the body to rot in the sun. It quickly decomposed to a pile of bones and dried organs.
More Artifacts
The following are photos of the rest of the sarcophagi, grave stelae, and other items in this exhibit at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum:
Galleries Temporarily Closed to Visitors
Some of the galleries were closed to visitors on my latest visit in May 2022. Fortunately, I was able to see them on my first visit to the museum in February 2011. They include the Assos Exhibition Hall and the Byzantium Exhibition Hall. Those galleries were in the process of being moved to the new building annex. I hope to see the improved exhibits on a future visit as they include some of the most important artifacts in the museum’s collection.
Byzantine Artifacts
Artifacts from Byzantine Constantinople shed light on the history of the city. They include reliefs, inscriptions, icons, mosaics, and other items.
Renderings of Constantinople
One room included renderings of what Constantinople looked like during the Byzantine period, as well as how some of the important monuments may have looked.
Museum of the Ancient Orient
The Museum of the Ancient Orient (Eski Şark Eserleri Müzesi) is one of the museums at the Istanbul Archaeology Museums. It’s located just inside the entrance to the complex. (Note: the museum was being renovated at the time of my last visit in May 2022. All of the photos of the artifacts are from a visit in February 2011.)
The building housing the Museum of the Ancient Orient was constructed as the College of Fine Arts (Sanâyi-i Nefîse Mektebi) in 1883. It was commissioned by Osman Hamdi Bey. The building was reorganized as a museum in 1935 and closed in 1963 for restoration works. It reopened to the public in 1974.
Collection of the Museum of the Ancient Orient
The collection of the museum focuses on ancient Anatolian cultures, such as the Hittites, Urartians, Assyrians, and Arameans. There are also Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Persian, and Arabian artifacts on display.
Some of the most impressive items are glazed brick panels from the Processional Way leading to the Ishtar Gate in Babylon. It features Mesopotamian lions and flowers.
Most of the Egyptian collection comes from the Dra’ Abu el-Naga’ necropolis on the West Bank of the Nile directly opposite the Karnak Temple. It was excavated by French Egyptologist Henri Gauthier (1877-1950) in 1904. Others are gifts of the khedives (hıdivs) of Egypt and Ottoman officials. The Egyptian collection contains about 1,200 artifacts.
Tiled Kiosk
The Tiled Kiosk (Çinili Köşk) houses a museum of tiles, pottery, and Islamic art at the Istanbul Archaeology Museums in Turkey. It was built in 1472 by Sultan Mehmed II as a small pleasure palace just outside the main walls of Topkapi Palace. Sports competitions were held on the grounds surrounding it.
The Tiled Kiosk was used as the Imperial Museum (Müze-i Hümayun) from 1875 to 1891. After that, it was used to display Islamic artifacts. In 1939, the building was allocated to the Topkapi Palace Museum and the collection was dispersed to other museums.
In 1953, on the 500th anniversary of the Fall of Constantinople, the building reopened to the public as the Museum of the Conqueror (Fatih Müzesi). It displayed arms, clothing, paintings, books, and other items associated with Sultan Mehmed II.
Later on, Ottoman and Islamic tiles and ceramics were displayed. In 1981 the building was incorporated into the Istanbul Archaeology Museums and still displays tiles and ceramics to this day.
The Tiled Kiosk is two stories high and contains three apartments connected to a central room. The façade contains glazed bricks with a Central Asian influence, and the main entrance is surrounded by a tiled green arch. The architect was most likely Persian. The portico was rebuilt in the 18th century under Abdülhamid I and contains 14 columns.
Collection of the Tiled Kiosk
Inside the museum is a collection of tiles and ceramics dating from the 12th through 20th centuries.
The central room contains mostly Iznik tiles. Kütahya, Çanakkale, and Seljuk tiles and ceramics, among others, are also displayed throughout the museum.
Just outside the Tiled Kiosk to the left is a collection of columns, statues, and architectural fragments.
