Istanbul Archaeological Museum dependent on the General Directorate of Monuments and Museums of the Ministry of Culture is on the
Osman Hamdi Bey Ascent that opens to the
Topkapı Palace Museum from the right of the
Gülhane Park Entry which is in the
Sultanahmet district.
Istanbul Archeological Museum was established by
Osman Hamdi Bey who was an archaeolog and a museum curator as the
Empire Museum on June 13, 1891.
Osman Hamdi Bey, with a regulations he prepared in the year 1881, has prevented the smuggling of the old opuses outside the country. The museum has reached its current shape with the attachments built in the year 1902 and 1908 and the arrangements made in 1991. The outer façade of the museum has been designed by a french Architect,
Alexandre Vallaury in neo classic style which was fashion in the 19. century. The museum is among the biggest museums of the world in terms of the number of the opuses it owns which number is over one million. Among the museum’s collections there are rich and very important opuses belonging to various civilizations from various regions such as Balkans and Afrika, Anatolia and Mesopotamia , Arab Peninsula and Afghanistan which once were within the boundaries of the
Ottoman Empire.
Tombs such as
Alexander Tomb,
Crying Women Tomb,
Satrap ,
Lykia and
Tabnit Tomb, sculptures , pots and pans from the Archaic period to the Byzantium Period and the findings in the Treasure Depratment are some of the important opuses displayed in the museum. In the basement floor of the six storey additional building , four stories of which are arranged as exhibition salons, there is the Infant Museum, on the first floor there is “
Istanbul for Ages”, on the second “
Anatolia and Troia for Ages” and on the top floor there is the “
Surrounding Cultures of Anatolia: Cyprus, Syria, Palestine” The museum is open everyday between 09.00 and 17.00 except Mondays.
