Istanbul Archaeological Museum | History + Price + Location

Istanbul is a beautiful and dreamy city with all the attractions that can attract tourists. There are too many sightseeing places with millions visiting daily.

One of the famous tourist attractions of this city is the Istanbul archaeological museum. A large museum with different sections that record every part of world history. In the continuation of this article, stay with me on the Travelling Topic to get to know the different parts of this museum.

History of Istanbul archaeological Museum

This museum has different parts that have been completed and put into operation over time; however, the entire section was built on the site of the old Topkapi Palace. Gulhane Park, south of Topkapi Palace, is where the construction of the museum building was started by order of Hamdi Osman, a famous Turkish architect and artist.

After the construction of Istanbul archaeological museum, because the entire Ottoman Empire was ordered to take care of historical and valuable objects, these objects were collected from all parts of the country to the Istanbul archaeological museum.

The construction of the main museum’s building began in 1811, and its architecture was entrusted to Alexander Valori, who had a history of building the Pera Palace Hotel.

History will be displayed in front of you by visiting different parts of this museum. The historical monuments of these parts, from the Greeks, Iranians, Egypt and Chinese, are arranged separately.

This museum consists of three main buildings and several sections, including the Museum of Archeology, Ancient East and Islamic Art. Several other buildings and units individually display a collection of valuable and memorable works.

Archaeological department

The museum’s main building is the archeology section, which was built in 1811 by the order of Hamdi Othman and was renovated in the following years, especially in 1911.

In this part of the museum, more than 1 million works from ancient times are displayed for visitors. Works of Mesopotamian civilizations, Egypt, Anatolia, etc., include statues, epitaphs, columns, and cuneiform inscriptions.

This building, along with its significant historical works and objects, is also built with magnificent and beautiful architecture. If you are also interested in this topic, it is better to look more carefully at the sculptures and the museum building.

The ancient east section 

The Ancient East section is one of the vast parts of this museum. In this section, tools, clothes, inscriptions, etc., from the emerging civilizations of the East are displayed, whose value and price cannot be considered.

Discovering these works shaped and changed many historical theories, and for this reason, it is important. The building of this part of the museum used to belong to the Faculty of Arts, which was replaced by the Ancient East Museum in 1917.

The Islamic art section 

This part of the Istanbul Archeology Museum also got a massive part of its fame because of Osman Hamdi Bey. He brought most of the works he discovered in Lebanon and its surroundings to Istanbul and made this museum gain a lot of fame.

One of the distinctive features of the objects and works in this museum is its cultural and artistic aspects. Much research has been obtained by observing and discovering these objects, especially tiles and writings related to that era, which is why it is Important.

Tiled Pavilion Museum

The Tiled mansion is an old building built in 1472 by Sultan Muhammad Fateh. Initially, this building was a place to rest and watch the games intended for the king. The green space and its surroundings have added to the beauty of the blue building of the tiled mansion.

What surprises all archaeologists and historians in this building is the soundness of the whole building and its tiles. Strangely, the entire tiled facade of this building has remained intact, and there is not a single scratch on it.

Royal coffins 

The sarcophagus of the kings is an Important part of the Islamic Arts Museum. This section, which was created due to the discovery and transfer of several coffins by Osman Hamdi Bey, is one of the most visited sections of the Archaeological Museum. The coffins are the burial place of the kings of Sidon, which Osman Hamdi Bey, found in the cemeteries of Sidon.

On all coffins, shapes and sculptures are created with a lot of art, which show different stories. One shows the story of the Iranian-Macedonian war, and the other shows the figure of 18 upset women.

Walking around the Istanbul archaeological museum

The museum, the palace and the sea are among the best beauties around this museum. If you look at the map of Istanbul, you will notice that this museum is located in one of the city’s most important neighborhoods.

Sultan Ahmed neighborhood is the old area in the town and has many places to visit. There are some other important tourist attractions in this area, which I will briefly explain below.

The Istanbul archaeological museum is located in a place surrounded by museums and old palaces, parks, etc. The Museum of the History of Islamic Science and Technology is one of these attractions, which is located 200 meters away from here.

After visiting the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, you can go to the other side of Gulhane Park and visit the Islamic Science Museum.

Gulhane Park or Greenhouse, where the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, Islamic Sciences, Topkapi Palace and many other sightseeing centers are built around it, is considered one of the tourist attractions of Istanbul. I suggest you go to this park, sit in the shade of its tall cedars and get rid of your tiredness by smelling the sweet smell of red roses.

Perhaps if you mention the name of Istanbul, the first tourist attractions that come to mind are Sultan Ahmed Mosque and Hagia Sophia. These two old buildings have always been among Istanbul’s most visited tourist attractions. The distance between these two from the Istanbul Archaeological Museum is 350 and 800 meters, respectively.

Basilica Reservoir is another tourist attraction and beautiful and essential building in Istanbul, located on the south side of Hagia Sophia. This reservoir was built in the Byzantine period, and among its prominent features, I can mention its substantial architecture and columns. The distance between this building and the museum is 500 meters at maximum.

How to get to Istanbul Archaeological Museum?

As mentioned, the old part of Istanbul or the Sultan Ahmed neighborhood, is where the archeology museum is.

Various modern and old restaurants, cafes and hotels have been built in this traditional neighborhood, which you can easily reach. The best feature of this neighborhood is the very short distance from each tourist attraction to the next. It should be noted that the same rule applies to restaurants and hotels.

The archaeological museum is located in the middle of this neighborhood in the northern part of Gulhane Park and has better access than other tourist attractions.

Access by subway

To go to this museum, you can use metro line B1 and get off at Sırkecı station. If you want to reach the museum from this station on foot, you have to walk for 10 minutes, but you can reduce this to 5 minutes by using the tram. There is a tram crossing opposite the metro station.

This line goes north of the park and Gulhane station. So it is better to get off before reaching the park and go to the south of the park, which takes about 3 minutes.

For more information, it is better to read the related article public transportation in Istanbul.

Visiting hours and ticket prices

Visiting the Istanbul Archeology Museum is done in winter from 10:00 to 17:00 and in summer from 9:00 to 18:00. If you intend to visit this museum, it is better to get your ticket one hour before the end of the visit to be allowed to enter. This museum has a ticket price of 340 lira.

Finally

Although visiting the Istanbul Archaeological Museum is a bit expensive and time-consuming, it will show you many facts and beauties from the history and civilizations of the past that you cannot see anywhere else.

If you have an experience or a suggestion for a better visit to the museum, share it with other users of the Travelling Topic so that they can also use your experiences.