Museum of Archaeology

İstanbul Arkeoloji Müzeleri

Turkey was slow to protect its antiquities and to display them properly, but in 1867 Sultan Abdülaziz toured the museums of Paris, London and Vienna and saw what was needed. The main collection is in a grand neo-classical building of 1891, with two annexes for ancient art and Islamic art. Exhibits include Sumerian tablets, pieces of the wall of Babylon, Roman statues, and the Alexander Sarcophagus. There are very detailed historical explanations in both Turkish and English. There is also quite an accurate exhibition about the historical layers and epochs of the city of Troy. If you are passionate about history, you can spend many hours here, so bring a supply of water and food (the museum café is quite expensive). In the summer, on Saturdays and Sundays, they have concerts in the courtyard.

• history
• museum

Address

Osman Hamdi Bey Yokuşu

Getting there

Gülhane 350 m

Hours

Daily 09:00-17:30. The Tiled Kiosk and the Museum of Oriental Art are closed as of October 2025

Price

Adult €15. Beware of the ticket office staff adding the audio guide to the ticket price without asking if you want it. It's not compulsory and you don't need it. Check the bill before paying!

Phone

+90 212 520 7740

Website

muze.gov.tr (opens in a new tab)