Istanbul Archeology Museums

Istanbul Archaeological Museums are examples of the first museum studies in our country. The traces of the work of gathering historical artifacts in the Ottoman Empire dates back to the period of Fatih Sultan Mehmet. However, the emergence of museum in a systematic way was the establishment of the Istanbul Archaeological Museum in 1869 under the name of ‘Museum-i Hümayun’.

Until then, the Museum-i Humayun, which consists of archaeological works gathered in the Hagia İrini Church, constitutes the basis of today's Istanbul Archaeological Museums. When the church of the Aya İrini was insufficient, a new place was searched. Instead of building a new building due to financial inadequacy, the “tiled mansion” is transformed into a museum.

With the appointment of Osman Hamdi Bey, the son of Grand Vizier Edhem Pasha in 1881, to the museum directorate, Turkish museums made significant developments. A new museum building was needed for many works obtained by excavations in Mount Nemrud Mountain, Myrina, Kyme and Ailoia and the Temple of Lagina Hekate.

Istanbul Archeology Museums Building is one of the rare buildings built as a museum building in the world. The Archaeological Museum, which was opened to visitors in 1891 and is one of the most beautiful and magnificent examples of neo-classical architecture in Istanbul, has a remarkable architecture with the magnificence of the front. The two entrances, which are reached with large stairs on the long façade, have a temple with four columns and pediment. The Kufi on the pediment is written in the Ottoman article in the Ottoman article. Tuğra on this article, the classical building built the Ottoman Sultan II. It belongs to Abdulhamid.