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
The Anatalya Archaeological Museum is well worth your time and is easy to access and enjoy. Located on the last stop of the tourist trolley and right across the street from the beach you can find your way to the museum from anywhere. It is well curated and a very managable size and scale. Artifacts are well spaced and never…
from the Greek remains to modern day architecture, you will find it all.
If in Antalya, a must visit!
All the sections of the museum are well-designed.I strictly advice you to see perge theater section,marble sculptures section and marble sarcophaguses section.
This museum is a must if you are around Antalya. It haws numerous superb statues of Gods and Emperors excavated at Perga, and a lot else besides.
We love this place, went back for a second visit today. Great mix of Turkish folk items, classical objects from the wealth of local Greek archeological sites, and earlier stone- and bronze-age items. The sarcophagus room is incredible. Very good presentation and explanations. 15 Lira entry free. One of our favorites.
first an enjoyable, scenic tram ride.then the very impressing museum! pleasant 2 1/2 hours inside, outside spectacular view over the bay with the snow capped mountains, we made postcard fotos!
Once again I am surprized that no one has previously posted a review of this fantastic museum.
I decided that today my kids needed a bit more culture and history on a rainy Saturday afternoon. So I decided to take them to the Antalya museum. I have been many years ago so it was a great pleasure to re-visit this…
This was a great place to visit. Cheap admission and very educational and so much to see! If you like history, even just a little bit, I recommend stopping by!
A small museum but well-presented and contains some absolutely superb artefacts, statues and sarcophagi
You can see different items from different periods and some good sarcophages and statues. There's even some craft and coins