Last Saturday I went to the Archaeology Museum in Istanbul. This museum is located in the famous Sultanahmet District near Topkapi Palace.

Istanbul Archaeology Museum
After entering the Bab-Ali gate (The Imperial Gate) we strolled through the front garden of the Topkapi Palace. We passed by the Aya Irini (Haghia Eirene) Museum on the left, which is formerly a church, and by the Darphane (The Ottoman Mint).  Instead of heading towards the palace we took a left turn and went down the pretty street towards the Museum of Archaeology. Entering the main gate we found ourselves in the calmness of the courtyard among 3 significant buildings.

The History

This complex of the Istanbul Museum of Archaeology consists of 3 museums and a courtyard. Built in various periods the museum was closed for restoration in 1963 and reopened again in 1974.

Museum of the Ancient Orient

The first building we encounter as we enter the courtyard is the Old Eastern Works Museum. Built in 1883 by Osman Hamdi Bey, an artist and museum director, the building was intended to be a fine arts school (Sanayi-i nefise), later it was restorated and organised as a museum. You can find Anatolian, Mesopotamian, Egyptian and Arabic works of Art, among which exist exquisite pieces such as the Statue of Naramsin, the king of Akad, the Kadeş Agreement and Chained Statue. Also there are 75,000 cuneiform documents in the “Tablets Archive”.

Museum of Islamic Art (The Tiled Kiosk)

Sultan Mehmed the 2nd had the Tiled Kiosk built in 1472 to be a part of the outer gardens of Topkapi Palace. Later, in the 19th century it was converted into an imperial museum. And in 1953 it was added to the Archaeological Museum as a museum of Turkish and Islamic Art.

Archaeologiacal Museum (Main Building)

This building, designed by Alexander Vallaury was built in 1881, with the supervision of Osman Hamdi Bey. It is one of the few museum buildings which has originally been built as a museum. The Alexander Sarcophagus and the Sarcophagus of the Mourning Women, which are 2 of the masterpieces of this museum, are the sources of inspiration for the neoclassical facade. In 1998 a new modern wing has been added to the main building, and it has received the European Council Museum Award for the renovations and new displays.

Istanbul Archaeology Museum Photos

I have been to this complex several times and whenever I leave, I always feel that the day was not enough and I have to visit again. Even the courtyard itself being so serene, is a place where you can spend the whole day if you have the time to spare it’s definitely worth it.
Besides the archiecture the exhibitions also are absolutely astonishing.

The Exhibitions

Alexander Sarcophagus
The Alexander Sarcophagus is one of the most famous items in the museum. The facades are elaborated with bas-relief sculptures of the battles of Alexander the Great. The depictions on the facades are so vivid you can visualise the chaotic and brutal scenes of the battles all around the sarcophagus.
With the elaborations of Alexander all around the sarcophagus it appears to have been prepared for Alexander himself, however it is known that it is the burial tomb for Abdalonymus, the king of Sidon in Lebanon, who was appointed by Alexander after the Battle of Issus.

This item and the Sarcophagus of Mourning women were retreived by Osman Hamdi, who was the museum founder and director, and brought to Istanbul in 1887.
Both the Sarcophagus of Alexander, and the Sarcophagus of Mourning Women are from the 4th century B.C. and both are examples of Ionian architectural style, with all their elegance and artistic quality.

Mourning Women Sarcophagus
The Mourning Women Sarcophagus is another beautiful item in the collection of the museum. As you can understand from its name the facades are elaborated with bas-relief carvings of 18 women mourning, all in different form and figures. This Sarcophagus is assumed to be the tomb of King Straton of Sidon and the woman are thought to be from his harem. Looking at every sculpture of the women grieving around the sarcophagus you feel that they have lost someone special, a person loved by many women.
These are only two of the most significant items. There are many other items worth seeing in the hall of sarcophagi at the Archeological Museum, such as the Sarcophagi of Tabnit and the Satrap, and the monumental Lycian tomb.
Throughout the museum you can also find glazed tile images from the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, many statues from the Roman era, busts of Alexander the Great and Zeus, one of the three known tablets of the Kadesh Treaty and many more items.

You can also have a look at the photos I have taken from my field trip either through the map above or click on my picasa web album on the left.
If you ever go to Istanbul, which you surely must do at least once in your life, be sure to visit this museum. It is, located at the Sultanahmet district which is the center of touristic attraction, easy to find, and most important of all it is one of the best museums in the world. Among all the other beautiful sites in the city, this tells the most of the cultural and historical heritage in Turkey.

For further reading go to:
Governorship of Istanbul Website
Ministry of Culture and Tourism Website
Wikipedia
The New York Times