Istanbul Archaeology Museums
İstanbul Arkeoloji Müzeleri
Made up of three museums: the Archaeology Museum, the Museum of the Ancient Orient and the Tiled Kiosk. The highlights are the Alexander Sarcophagus and the oldest known peace treaty tablet.
The Istanbul Archaeology Museums sit below the first courtyard of Topkapı Palace. They opened in 1891 and are Turkey's oldest museum. The collection holds more than a million objects. Highlights include the Alexander Sarcophagus and the Weeping Women Sarcophagus, both found in the royal necropolis of Sidon. In the Museum of the Ancient Orient, you can see the Kadesh Treaty tablet, one of the earliest known peace treaties, and the glazed tiles from the Ishtar Gate of Babylon. The Tiled Kiosk, completed in 1472, is also here. Tickets for foreign visitors cost about 15 euros, and the museum pass is valid. Getting there: T1 tram to Gülhane station, then a 5-minute walk from the side gate of Gülhane Park.
Opening hours
09:00–19:00 (until about 17:00 in winter)
Nearby sights
- Gülhane Park
- Hagia Irene
- Topkapi Palace
- Blue Mosque
- Hagia Sophia
- Basilica Cistern
- Hippodrome of Constantinople
- Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts