Istanbul Archaeological Museums

Istanbul Archeology Museum is among the largest museums in the world, with more than one million artifacts from various cultures. The museum is built as Turkey's oldest buildings. It was founded as an Imperial Museum by the painter and museum artist Osman Hamdi Bey in the late 19th century and was opened to visitors on June 13, 1891.

Units of the Museum

In the collection of the museum, there are artifacts belonging to civilizations from the Balkans to Africa, from Anatolia and Mesopotamia to the Arabian Peninsula and Afghanistan, within the borders of the Ottoman Empire. Since the museum consists of three main units, it is called the Istanbul Archeology Museums. 

• Archaeological Museum (main building)
• Ancient Oriental Works Museum
• Tiled Kiosk Museum

History

He inherited an organization which collects the Republic of Turkey from the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul Archeology Museums within the first curatorial work in Turkey. In fact, the traces of the curiosity of collecting historical artifacts in the Ottoman Empire can be followed from the period of Mehmed the Conqueror. However, the institutional emergence of museology in a systematic way coincides with the establishment of the Istanbul Archeology Museums in 1869 as the 'Museum-i Hümayun', that is, the Imperial Museum. The Museum-i Hümayun, which consists of archaeological artifacts collected until that day in the Hagia Eirene Church, forms the basis of the Istanbul Archeology Museums. Saffet Pasha, the Minister of Education of the period, was closely interested in the museum and made personal efforts to bring works to the museum. In addition, one of the Galatasaray High School teachers, Edward Goold, of British origin, was appointed as the museum director. In 1872, the Minister of Education, Ahmed Vefik Pasha, took the Museum-i Hümayun, which was abolished for a period, to the German Dr. Phillip Anton re-establishes Dethier by appointing him as director. Dr. As a result of Dethier's work, the space in Hagia Irene church is insufficient and a new construction comes to the fore. Due to financial impossibilities, a new building cannot be built, but the "Tiled Kiosk", built during the reign of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, is converted into a museum. The Tiled Kiosk, which is still affiliated with the Istanbul Archeology Museums, was restored and opened in 1880.

In terms of the date of its construction, the oldest building in the Istanbul Archaeological Museums complex is the Tiled Pavilion. The Enameled Kiosk Museum, where Turkish tiles and ceramics are currently exhibited, It is the oldest example of civil architecture that Mehmed built in Istanbul. Seljuk influence in the building is striking. It is written on the tile inscription on the door that the construction date is 1472 AD, but its architect is unknown. The other two buildings that were built later are located around the Tiled Pavilion. One of these buildings is the building that was built as the first Academy of Fine Arts of the Ottoman Empire and later converted as the Museum of Ancient Oriental Works. The building, where the Old Eastern Works are located today, was built by Osman Hamdi Bey in 1883 as the School of Fine Arts, namely the Academy of Fine Arts. This academy, which will form the foundations of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in the future, is the first fine arts school opened in the Ottoman Empire. The architect of the building is Alexander Vallaury, who will later build the Istanbul Archeology Museums Classic building. In 1917, when the academy in it was moved to another building in Cağaloğlu, this building was allocated to the museums directorate. The museum director of the period, Halil Edhem Bey thought that it would be more appropriate to exhibit the works belonging to the ancient cultures of the Near East countries separately from the Greek, Roman and Byzantine works and ensured that the building was organized as the Museum of Ancient Oriental Works. II. It belongs to Abdulhamid.

In 1881, with the appointment of Osman Hamdi Bey, son of Grand Vizier Edhem Pasha, as the museum director, a new era started in Turkish museology. Osman Hamdi made excavations in Mount Nemrut, Myrina, Kyme and other Aiolia Necropolis and Lagina Hecate Temple and collected the artifacts from here in the museum. Between 1887 and 1888, he reached the Necropolis of Kings as a result of his excavations in Sidon, which is located in Lebanon today, and returned to Istanbul with many sarcophagi, especially the world famous Alexander Tomb. A new museum building is needed for the exhibition of magnificent works such as Alexander Tomb, Crying Women Tomb, Lycian Tomb, Tabnit Tomb, which were brought to Istanbul from the Sidon (Sidon, Lebanon) King Necropolis Excavation by Osman Hamdi Bey between 1887 and 1888. has been heard. The Istanbul Archeology Museums, which were built by the famous architect Alexandre Vallaury and established as the Museum-i Hümayun (Imperial Museum), were opened to visitors on 13 June 1891, at the request of Osman Hamdi Bey. The museum opened to visitors as it appeared on June 13 is celebrated as the day of museum curators in Turkey. With the addition of the northern wing in 1903 and the southern wing in 1907 to the Archeology Museum building, today's main museum building was created. Due to the need for new exhibition halls, next to the main museum building, an addition was made between 1969-1983 and this section was named as the Annex Building (new building).

Istanbul Archeology Museum Classic building TÜRSAB - is reinforced against earthquakes in Turkey Travel Agencies Union and sponsorship are being restored.