In istanbul, the istanbul archaeological museums are a three-part museum complex. the archaeology museum, the ancient orient museum, and the tiled kiosk museum are all worth seeing. osman hamdi bey, a museum curator, great painter (“the tortoise trainer”/pera museum), and archaeologist, founded the palace collections in the late 19th century, and they are kept in these three major sections in the same courtyard.
Over a million artifacts from different civilizations transported from the imperial territories are housed in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, which was the first daily museum in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey’s history.
The desire to gather historical artifacts goes back to the time of Mehmet the Conqueror, but the founding of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums as Müze-i Hümayun in 1869 marks the official beginning of museums (Imperial Museum). The Müze-i Humayun, which contains the archaeological works collected in the Hagia Irene Church, is the home of the Istanbul Archaeological Museum. Because Hagia Irene proved inadequate, the Tiled Kiosk, built during the time of Mehmet the Conqueror, was converted into a museum. The Tiled Kiosk was restored and reopened in 1880, and is currently maintained by the Istanbul Archaeological Museum.
In 1881, the appointment of Osman Hamdi Bey (Biography) as museum director was a watershed moment in Turkish museology. Between 1887 and 18888, Osman Hamdi Bey excavated in Mount Nemrud, Myrina, Kyme, other Alolia Necropolises, and Lagina Hekate Temple, and as a result of his excavations in Sayda (Sidon), he entered the necropolis of King Sidon and returned to Istanbul with several sarcophagi, including Alexander the Great’s famous sarcophagi.
The earliest building in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum complex is the Tiled Kiosk (1472 CE). The Tiled Kiosk Museum, which now houses specimens of Turkish tiles and pottery, is one of the earliest examples of Ottoman civic architecture.
The Istanbul Archaeological Museums are among the top ten museums in the world that were established specifically to serve as museums. In 1883, Osman Hamdi Bey established the Sanayi-i Nefise college, or Academy of Fine Arts, which today houses the Museum of Ancient Oriental Works. The building was designed by Alexander Vallaury, who would subsequently construct the Istanbul Archaeological Museum Classic complex.
The Archaeological Museum is one of the few museums constructed during that historical period in the globe. It is one of Istanbul’s most beautiful and majestic neo-classical structures. On the pediments of the museum’s entrance door, the inscription “Asar- Atika Müzesi” is inscribed in Ottoman Turkish (Museum of Antiquities). The tughra on the inscription represents Sultan Abdulhamid II.
The Tomb of Iskender (Alexander Sarcophagus), Tomb of “Crying Women” (Sarcophagus of the Mourning Women), Lycia Tomb, and Tabnit Tomb, all of which were brought to Istanbul from the Sidon King Necropolis excavations conducted by Osman Hamdi Bey between 1887 and 1888, necessitated the construction of a new museum. The Istanbul Archeological Museum’s Classical Building, built by famous architect Alexandre Vallaury, was opened on June 13th, 1891, immediately across from The Tiled Kiosk.
Istanbul Tourist Pass is your all-in-one digital pass that gives you access to 100+ top attractions with skip-the-line privileges. Enjoy museums, guided tours, cruises, and experiences without paying at each entrance.
Use code ISTCOM5 at checkout
Limited time offer
The complex is located in Sultanahmet neighborhood, Fatih district’s ancient peninsula, on the Osman Hamdi Bey hill, which links Gülhane Park and the Topkapi Palace Museum. Walking down the slope from Topkapi Palace‘s first court or up the hill from Gulhane Park‘s main gate provides easy access to the Istanbul Archeology Museum complex (Rose Park).
Explore More about Istanbul with Istanbul.com!
Istanbul.com keeps you up to date on the most interesting news in Istanbul! You can discover the greatest things to do in Istanbul, the top historical sites in Istanbul, some of the best museums in Istanbul, and much more on our website! Explore Istanbul now by visiting our website and learning about the city’s famous attractions!
Reviews
Marmaray is one of those services that you may use while you discover Istanbul. Istanbul is a transcontinental city located in Northwest turkey, along the Marmara coast. Many different means of transportation connect the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. You can easily visit the must-see tourist attractions of Istanbul by using public transportation only. In this article, we will explain one of the public transportation services, Marmaray.
Çukurcuma is a stunning district that can be considered one of the most beautiful places in Istanbul. Its history dates back to centuries ago. Çukurcuma attracts the attention of young people and everyone on social media with its old architecture and colorful houses. Neighborhood, with sweet cat gangs, is home to many museums and art galleries with art and culture on every corner, and they take great care of this.
A little known beauty of istanbul: the german fountain is located in sultanahmet, right at the heart of historical peninsula.
Read More
Through the years istanbul city has been a capital for the biggest and most powerful empires in the world byzantine, roman, and ottoman empires. in fact, istanbul city is the only city in the world which served as the capital of three empires and for that, the city has been through a lot of changes, whether from the architectural aspect or the cultural aspect.
Read More
English 
Indonesian 
Urdu 
Taiwanese 
Russian 
Romanian 
Portuguese 
Persian 
Macedonian 
Korean 
Japanese 
Italian 
Indian 
Hungarian 
Greek 
German 
Croatian 
Chinese 
Bulgarian 
Arabic 
French 
Spanish 