The superb Museum of Anatolian Civilisations is the perfect introduction to the complex weave of Turkey’s ancient past, housing artefacts cherry-picked from just about every significant archaeological site in Anatolia.
The museum is housed in a beautifully restored 15th-century bedesten (covered market). The 10-domed central marketplace houses reliefs and statues, while the surrounding hall displays exhibits from the earlier Anatolian civilisations: Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, Assyrian, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian and Lydian. The downstairs sections hold classical Greek and Roman artefacts and a display on Ankara’s history. Get there early to avoid the flood of tour groups and school parties.
The exhibits are chronologically arranged in a spiral: start at the Palaeolithic and Neolithic displays in the room to the right of the entrance, then continue in an anticlockwise direction, visiting the central room last.
Items from one of the most important Neolithic sites in the world Çatalhöyük, southeast of Konya – are displayed here. There’s a mock-up of the inside of a dwelling typical of those uncovered at the site, one of the most famous mother goddess sculptures unearthed from the excavations and wall paintings of hunting scenes.
Also on show are many finds from the Assyrian trading colony Kültepe, one of the world’s oldest and wealthiest bazaars. These include baked-clay tablets found at the site, which dates to the beginning of the 2nd millenium BC.
One of the striking Hittite figures of bulls and stags in the next room used to be the emblem of Ankara. The Hittites were known for their relief work, and some mighty slabs representing the best pieces found in the country, generally from around Hattuşa, are on display in the museum’s central room.
Most of the finds from the Phrygian capital Gordion, including incredible inlaid wooden furniture, are on display in the museum’s last rooms. The exhibits also include limestone blocks with still-indecipherable inscriptions resembling the Greek alphabet, and lion- and ram-head ritual vessels that show the high quality of Phrygian metalwork.
Urartian artifacts are also on display here. Spurred by rich metal deposits, the Urartians were Anatolia’s foremost metalworkers, as the knives, horse-bit, votive plates and shields on display demonstrate. There are also terracotta figures of gods in human form, some revealing their divine powers by growing scorpion tails, and neo-Hittite artefacts.
Downstairs, classical-period finds and regional history displays provide a local picture. Excavations have unearthed a Roman road near the Column of Julian, and Ankara has its own ‘missing link’, the 9.8-million-year-old Ankarapithecus (a 30kg, fruit-eating primate).
People kept telling me that the Ankara Civilizations Museum was way better than the Istanbul Archeological Museum – it's a bit hard to compare however, since 3/5 of the Ankara Civ. Museum is closed for renovation. It's still worth visiting the other 2 rooms, which primarily focus on the archaeological finds from the Hittites + wandering around outside. And for…
Smaller collection but it's worth a visit. Artifacts represent a rare and interesting cultural collection, which includes gold, silver and coins.
İ visited yesterday with a friend from Ankara.
Upon arrival we were asked to read the notice on the window which explained that parts of the museum were under renovation, but that some objects of the closed areas would be on display elsewhere in the museum.
The museum is a grand display and overview of how civilisations evolved in Anatolia….
Especially you must see here. not beach and cost around hotels. that museum is real history and arkeology. it is important
This was one of the most outstanding museums I've ever visited! There was a large and gorgeous ancient Greek sculpture collection that rivaled, and in some ways surpassed the Elgin Marbles of the Parthenon in the British Museum. The paleolithic clay sculpture was the most ancient I have ever seen. I also enjoyed the gift shop with a very large…
It's a nice small museum. In one hour and a half you have an overview about Turkey past through civilizations. Things are exhibited properly. Everything is interesting.
Go there if you are in Ankara or nearby – if you are not going to Ankara, well, I think you can survive without visiting it. Ankara is not worth a visit.
Pretty neat exhibits but a couple were closed. Lots of neat jewelry, pottery, and old ruins. you're allowed to take pictures, and at the end of the museum there's a gift shop with some pretty neat schotsky's.
This is an informative, well laid-out museum. Many artefacts & also explains the early history of Turkey.
They have what is claimed to be King Midas' skull too!
And it has free wi-fi.
Many interesting items that are thousands of years old. Well lit and well presented exhibit that doesn't overwhelm you with too much repetition.
In fact is nice but you have to love old art in static places.The general feeling is that after one hall comes another one not really different. However some pieces of art worth the visit.