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
loved the statues and rooms also I was fascinated by the shoes on display along with jewelery, there was nothing to dislike, very good dayout
Take the old tram to it's terminus west of the city (it costs 1.25 Turkish Lire) and treat yourself to the audio guide at the Museum. Chronologically arranged, you get a full history of the area for when you visit the likes of Perge and Aspendos. Excellent statues.
If you went to see the ruins of Perge, this is the place to see the many, many statues and sargophagi from that city. It completes the picture of Perge as a most properus city. Museum is well laid out and items are well labeled. The grounds also have many artifacts displayed. All in all a very worthwhile place to…
i went there to see herkules statue… as he is one of my heros
^_^
the musee with a good vairety of islamic and roman and bizantian ruins
You have to be well into Archeology (as I am), and if you do, you will certainly enjoy the Archaeological Museum of Antalya. Beside, it is centrally located nearby the city center, so no excuses at all. Either by foot or by taxi (well…by foot in case you don't mind the forty-five minutes walk), it is worth the visit. I…
The collection there were fabulous, very well organised museum it is definitly worth visiting, the admission is cheap too!
Very interesting museum to visit before or after you go to one of the ancient sites. Especially, the sarcofags collection and Perge statues are stunningly beautiful.
Every time we visited a Greco Roman ruin, we were told that a column or plinth used to have a statue of (insert god or public figure) but that now it is in a museum. We were so glad we went to Antalya Museum, almost by chance, as that's where a lot of them have ended up apparently. It had…
Make sure you go there, if possible early, to avoid the massive groups of people.
The best archeological finds in the region were brought here, so you'll feel very close to gods!
Sipping a tea in the garden is also nice. I also discovered "Su", an out-of-this-world album, in the museum's bookstore.
Need more than an hour going through this museum. So much to see and read. Hercules was there after many years away for restoration work. A great collection overall.