Museum of Anatolian Civilizations — Ankara Castle
The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi) is one of the most important archaeological museums in the world, housed in a restored fifteenth-century Ottoman covered bazaar and caravanserai on the south slope of Ankara Castle. Established at Atatürk’s initiative to celebrate Anatolia’s pre-Islamic civilisations, the museum holds the world’s richest collection of Hittite and Neolithic artefacts, as well as extraordinary finds from Çatalhöyük, the Phrygian, Urartian, Lydian, and Hellenistic periods. It was named European Museum of the Year in 1997 and remains the flagship institution of Turkish cultural heritage.
At a glance
- Type
- State archaeological museum — Anatolian prehistoric and protohistoric civilizations
- Period
- Collections spanning c. 1,000,000 BCE (Palaeolithic) – 1st century BCE; museum building dates to the 15th century CE
- Style
- Restored Ottoman Mahmut Paşa bedesten (covered bazaar) and Kurşunlu Han (caravanserai)
- Location
- Gözcü Sokak No. 2, Atpazarı, Ulus, Ankara, Turkey
- Coordinates
- 39.9382° N, 32.8597° E
Overview
The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations stands on the south side of Ankara’s historic citadel and presents Anatolia’s archaeological record from the Palaeolithic through the Iron Age in a chronological and thematic sequence that is unmatched anywhere in the world. The museum was conceived in the 1930s as part of Atatürk’s cultural programme to anchor the new Turkish Republic to a deep Anatolian identity preceding both Ottoman and Islamic history. Its collections, assembled from excavations across the Anatolian plateau, provide the definitive visual history of the region that gave birth to the Hittite Empire, the world’s oldest known cities, and some of the earliest written records.
History
The Ottoman bedesten building was constructed in the fifteenth century by Grand Vizier Mahmut Paşa and served as a commercial storage and exchange centre for Ankara’s bazaar economy. When Atatürk’s government decided to create a dedicated Hittite museum, Culture Minister Hamit Zübeyir Koşay identified the derelict bedesten and adjacent han as suitable premises; restoration work began in the late 1930s and the museum opened to the public in 1968 after decades of gradual preparation and collection building. A fire in 1921 had destroyed part of the complex, but the main domed hall survived and was fully restored during the conversion.
What you see
The main circular domed hall of the bedesten is arranged as a chronological circuit from the Palaeolithic entrance to the Iron Age exit, with finds displayed in low glass cases beneath the restored Ottoman vaulting. Highlights include Neolithic figurines and wall paintings from Çatalhöyük (c. 7500 BCE), the remarkable Assyrian trade tablet archive from Kültepe documenting the earliest mercantile transactions in Anatolian history, and an outstanding series of Hittite orthostats (carved stone slabs) from Carchemish, Sakçagözü, and other imperial sites. The Phrygian gallery holds wooden furniture and textiles preserved in burial mounds at Gordion, including objects possibly associated with King Midas. The Urartian bronzes and Lydian gold collection round out a survey of extraordinary breadth and quality.
Cultural significance
Named European Museum of the Year in 1997, the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations is recognised internationally as the foremost repository of Hittite and Neolithic cultural material anywhere in the world. Its holdings are foundational for the academic study of the ancient Near East, Bronze Age Europe, and the origins of urban civilisation. The museum also carries profound national significance as an emblem of Turkish cultural identity built around the pre-Ottoman and pre-Islamic continuity of the Anatolian homeland.
Practical information
The museum is open daily except Mondays. Entry fees apply; concessions available for children, students, and senior citizens. Audio guides and guided tours are available in several languages. The museum shop carries quality publications and replicas of key artefacts. Check the official museum website for current opening hours and ticket prices: anadolumedeniyetleri.gov.tr.
Getting there
The museum is located in the Ulus neighbourhood near Ankara Castle, approximately 3 km north of Kızılay (the city centre). From Kızılay, take the Ankara Metro M1 line to Ulus station, then walk uphill toward the castle for approximately 15 minutes, or take a taxi. From Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport, an intercity bus and metro connection reaches Ulus in approximately 50 minutes. Parking is limited in the narrow streets around the citadel; public transport is strongly recommended.