İstanbul Archaeology Museums

Home to over one million artefacts spanning ancient civilisations.

The İstanbul Archaeology Museums, located on the grounds of Topkapı Palace and overlooking Gülhane Park, holds an extensive collection of artefacts from various cultures, including the late Ottoman Empire, the Hellenistic period, the Byzantine Empire, and other ancient civilisations that once thrived in the region.

The museum itself is a stunning example of Neo-Classical architecture, and its vast collection includes the Brankhit statues from the Didyma-Milet Sacred Road, Kore and Kouros statues, the Lion Statue from the Halicarnassus Mausoleum, the Head of Aphrodite from the famous Pergamon Zeus Altar, and portrait sculptures of Alexander the Great. Significant discoveries from ancient cities like Aphrodisias, Ephesos, and Miletos also enrich its halls.

The museum is also home to numerous artefacts unearthed during excavations led by Osman Hamdi Bey, the founder of museology in Türkiye and the museum's first director in the 19th century. One of them is the world-famous Alexander Sarcophagus, unearthed in the Sidon King Necropolis during excavations conducted by Osman Hamdi Bey between 1887 and 1888.