The Antalya Archaeological Museum is one of Turkey’s largest museums, located in Antalya. It includes 13 exhibition halls and an open air gallery. It covers an area of 7,000 m2 (75,000 sq ft) and has 5000 works of art are exhibited. In addition a further 25,000–30,000 artifacts which cannot be displayed are in storage. As a museum exhibiting examples of works, which illuminate the history of the Mediterranean and Pamphylia regions in Anatolia, Antalya Museum is one of the most important of Turkey’s museums. The Museum won the “European Council Special Prize” in 1988.
At the end of the World War I, during the time when Antalya was under the Italian military occupation, Italian archeologists started to remove the archeological treasures that had been found in the center or the surroundings to the Italian Embassy, which they claimed to do in the name of civilization. To prevent these initiatives, Süleyman Fikri Bey, the Sultan’s teacher, applied to the Antalya post and jurisdiction of the provincial Governor in 1919 and had himself appointed as voluntary curator of antiquities and first tried to establish the Antalya Museum by collecting what remained in the center.
The museum at first operated in the Alâeddin Mosque in 1922, then in Yivli Minare Mosque beginning from 1937, and then moved to its present building in 1972. It was closed to visitors for a wide range of modifications and restorations in 1982. It was reorganized according to a modern approach for a museum and opened to the public in April 1985, after the restorations and display arrangements made by the General Directorate of Ancient Objects and Museums.
Roman Dancer at Antalya Archaeological Museum
Bronze age burial practice around here (for some): in a big amphora jar
Three Graces in Antalya Archaeological Museum
What makes this museum special is that it has a great selection of artefacts, yet not overbearingly so! One can spend 2 hours here and feel that you have seen and done so sufficiently. Also not too much information is given on the audio guide – it leads you to the most significant works and gives just enough info so…
The collection of Roman artefacts is the best I've seen anywhere outside of Rome itself. Beautifully displayed and carefully selected, this is wonderful stuff! The Turkish museum service is to be congratulated on a superb museum.
This museum was easy to view and had signs etc that made it easy to understand what you were viewing.
It is well worth the visit for $5AUS
I am glad I took the time to see more relics of the period
This museum has a small yet wonderful collection of local ancient artifacts. Definitely worth a good two or three hour visit if you're interested in pre-historic, Greek, and Roman history.
The museum is well laid out and contains some of the best and most attractive statues and statue heads I have seen in any museum. It is very well labelled and explained, varied, and a great place to visit on a rainy day. Enjoyed the icons and the St. Nicholas explanations too.
Make sure you have a hat and very good shoes because the museum is quite large. I liked especially the area showing the ancient romal bath complex, the main commercial district with the temple in the middle
Loved this museum – wonderful items throughout the museum to give examples of styles and designs and cultures to be find in the area such as old carpets, carved or painted doors and ceilings – with information given in English.
Excellent artefacts from surrounding ancient sites of Perge, Aspendos, Telmossos – Jewish, Christian, Roman items and also a few excellent…
if u re visiting antalya u must see this museum!there are many sculptures and monuments most of them ancient greek (from perge) and few roman. there in a very good condition well preserved.the museum its not too big not too small..if u love museums u ll stay at least 4 hours there
One of the most beautiful Museums of its kind I have seen anywhere. Built in 1972, it uses highly contemporary display strategies to bring the wonders of ancient worlds to a modern audience. Starting with prehistorical exhibits from the stone and bronze ages, it moves to a pottery collection of increasing sophistication culminating in a series of Grecian vases that…
If you see no other museum in Turkey, don't miss this one.
The museum collection includes statues which have been recovered from excavations from the ancient city of Perge (just around the coast from Antalya). They are displayed in spacious galleries with excellent and sympathetic lighting – they will capture your imagination and take your breath away – the best…