The Izmir Archaeology and Ethnography Museum are 2 separate museums located side by side on the hill at Bahribaba Park, just a short walk from Konak.
The Izmir Archaeology Museum is blessed with Greek and Roman relics taken from its neighbouring ancient cities. Here you’ll find elaborately decorated sarcophagi and tomb carvings, an extraordinarily well-preserved frieze depicting the 250BC funeral games at the Belevi mausoleum, and an enormous Domitian statue taken from Ephesus.
The Izmir area alone has a rich history of cultures dating back 8,500 years. From the Hittites to the Ionians; from the Lydians to the Persians; from the Greeks to the Romans; from the Byzantines to the Ottomans countless civilizations have left traces of their presence here. Traces that have been, and are continuing to be unearthed, adding to the treasure trove of archaeological finds on display not just at the dig sites, but also in museums across the country.
The Archaeology Museumin Izmir was first established in 1924 on the site of the abandoned Orthodox Church of Ayavukla in Basmane. In 1951, the museum was relocated to a building on the grounds of “Kültür Park” (green space in the center of the city and the site of the annual international fair). When that site proved too small for the ever-growing collection of artifacts, the museum was moved to its current location in 1984. In addition to exhibits, the new building houses a lab for the restoration of artifacts as well as a library.
The Izmir Ethnography Museum next door eclipses this collection with a number of items originally belonging to Ataturk Turkey’s founder. Set in a handsome stone building (1831) that began its life as a hospital, the museum exhibits and displays demonstrate local art, craft and customs such as pottery, jewellery, carpet and weapon making as well as the rather bizzare sport of camel wrestling.
Ethnography Museum originally built in 1831 as the St Roche Hospital, this lovely old four-storey stone building houses colourful displays (including dioramas, photos and information panels) demonstrating local arts, crafts and customs. You’ll learn about everything from camel wrestling, pottery and the task of tin-plating to felt-making, embroidery and the art of making those curious little blue-and-white ‘evil eye’ beads. Other displays include weaponry, jewellery and beautiful illustrated manuscripts.
Archaelogy and Ethnography Museum, Izmir
The Izmir Archaeology and Ethnography Museum are 2 separate museums and has impressive architecture and the exhibits well displayed.The Museums containing a number of pieces of clothing and pottery from the Seljuk period of Turkish History onwards and a collection of folkloric artifacts, including a fine collection of Ephesus, Pergamon and Gordes carpets, traditional costumes and camel bridles can be found in this history museums. Admission to the museum is free.
View Larger Map Archaelogy and Ethnography Museum, Izmir,
There are only so many places with “old rocks” and museums full of old pottery that you can visit with children – or another person who isn’t an antiquities fan – before they start rebelling. That’s why I was very excited to visit this museum.
The museum has rooms recreating the first pharmacy in Izmir, showing how glassblowers made evil eyes, and rooms of a house depicting a married couple and their son as he grows among other things. We also got some pictures and explanation of camel wrestling. (Yes, camel wrestling! Which is camel vs camel and not camel vs man as I first thought when I heard about it)
This is not the best ethnography museums we’ve visited, but it was one of the best places we visited while in Izmir. The adults, as well as the children, thought it was much more interesting than the Archaeological Museum next door.
If you do go, ask when buying your tickets if they have any booklets available in English. We were offered a really nice one with great explanations and pictures of some of the exhibits. Even if they only have it in Turkish, it is still worth it for the pictures, as it covers the Archaeological Museum and other historical sights in Izmir.
Aegean culture is extremely rich but this is a very old style type of introducing visitors to it.
This museum is better than the archaeological museum in my opinion. Two of the museums are located in the same place so when you get to the archaeological museum you already reached to this one.
This museum is located opposite the Archaeology Museum is located in Bahribaba Park, just to the south of Konak. It is housed in a lovely stone building that was once a hospital, built in 1831. It exhibits a wonderful collection of folkloric art which is displayed on the first two floors which showcase the lifestyle, customs and traditions of Izmir and its vicinity in the 19th century. It displays reconstructions of traditional handicrafts such as felt making, wood block printing, clog making, blue bead making, tin processing, rope weaving and pottery as well as many costumes, textiles, jewellery, kitchen utensils and camel saddles and an exhibition about camel wrestling.
Das Ethnographische Museum befindet sich im Park Bahribaba im Zentrum von Izmir entfernt. Das Museum befindet sich neben dem Archäologischen Museum.Von der nahe gelegenen Platz Konak können Sie sich hier kommen in maximal 5 Minuten.
Das Ethnographische Museum ist in einem neoklassizistischen Gebäude im Jahre 1831, als das Krankenhaus von St. Roch, in denen die Patienten für die Pest behandelt wurden erbaut wurde. Nach der Renovierung im Jahre 1845 wurde das Gebäude in ein Heim für arme Familien und Waisen der christlichen Religion konvertierte. Dann wurde der Sitz des Department of Public Health, bis endlich, nach einer umfangreichen Renovierung in den Jahren 1985 – 1988, in einer eingetragenen Museum umgewandelt.
Das Museum präsentiert, unter anderem Produktionsstätte fühlte, roch Anlage berühmten Talismane (Boncuğu Nazar) und eine Apotheke im Jahr 1903. Darüber hinaus sind die Innenräume der Häuser und die Rekonstruktion der ehemaligen Einwohner von Kleidungsstücken.
One of the better museums in Turkey in my opinion. I have visited many of these museums in Ankara and Istanbul and Izmir museum is definitely worth a look also. The building has impressive architecture and the exhibits well displayed.