Explore the Rich History at the Istanbul Archaeological Museum

Yhis is a remarkable museum. The great exhibits and statues are well presented and just there without a “safety distance “. One can just walk around and admire everything which, nowadays, is an unusual experience.

With over a hundred thousand pieces and 4,000+ years of history The Istanbul Archaeological Museum spreads across three buildings including the Museum of the Ancient Orient and Tiled Pavilion. Easily accessed near Topkapı Palace guests will find everything from jewels and weapons to sarcophagi from the Royal Necropolis of Sidon. Currently under renovation, though the Archaeology Museum and Tiled Pavilion are currently accessible, expect to spend 2-3 hours here to garner a good understanding of ancient history up through the Ottoman Empire.

I have visited many archaeological museums but this one ranks in the top 3. Stunning collection, beautifully laid out and lit. Nice details in English. The garden is also wonderful. Sadly The Museum of Ancient Orient was closed due to renovations. So many beautiful things to see.

So many amazing ancient sculptures and art pieces. Civilizations across thousands of years represented in well preserved exhibits.

! Never a dull moment. Lots of interesting information and archeology has never been more enlightening than what this museum has shown it to be. Start with the outdoor display if the weather is good. Take it slowly and enjoy the display of friezes, statues and sarcophagi etc. The indoor display is massive. Two storeys and many halls — from statues to pottery & ceramics and gold coins. Extremely educational. I learn a lot from the 4 to 5 hours that I spend at the museum. The only reason for some of us to leave the museum is its closing time! Ticket is only 100 lira — under-priced in my view!

Istanbul is an amazing city with spans both Europe and Asia and has one of the most diverse populations (16.5 mil) of any city I have visited. The museum is on the European side and houses amazing sculpture and every day living items. I spent about an hour there (arrived 10:15)and the crowds were small. We stayed on the Asian side at the Hilton of the Bosporus Straits which was about 4 miles to the ancient city and the ride took 2 1/2 hours thru horrendous traffic. It was like a ballet how the taxis, private vehicles and pedestrians all merged. No horns, cars were mostly new without damage and drivers accommodatingly aggressive but letting traffic flow. I would never recommend renting a car and trying to negotiate thru the city. Streets are mostly not well marked, no parking and slow. I would highly recommend getting a tour guide and driver for any touring the sights. Your concierge at the hotel or word of mouth is the best way to find a guide. All “approved” guides have to pass tests and are licensed by the city. The first day we would not have found a ride (4 miles) back to the Hilton, taxi drivers just refused to take us back across the city or they would just ignore you. Our guide literally argued with a driver and threatened to turn him in if a did not take us as passengers. The Blue Mosque has a very long line for entry as is at first intimidating but the way they clear the mosque and reload tourist makes the line move faster than one would expect. There was also renovation with about 1/2 of the mosque covered inside by tarps. If you have seen other mosques and the tile work, you might consider some of the smaller mosques and take pictures from outside the Blue Mosque which are pretty impressive. Your guide can help here. The best and oldest bath is also difficult to find as it is marked by a small 1’ x 3’ sign on the side by the entrance. Even with a map it is hard to get your bearings. Definitely do miss the cistern in the old city as it is unlike the other sites and not generally open to the public. Most places take credit cards but a couple hundred $ in local currency (not euros) is advisable. The spice bazaar and Grand Bazaar is impressive but mostly the same items and very crowded. The locals were very friendly, mostly spoke the local dialects with little english and the restaurants with roof top dining were amazing. Unlike any major city I have ever visited because of the diversity, we never felt unsafe and travelled without hassles, of course we did not walk around the city late at night.

massive and needs a long time. outstanding museum. would have been five stars if the audio guide was available or working and the staff at th entrance abit more helpful. It was compltely renovate =d a year or two ago and it is modern and current. worth a serious visit.

A really good, interesting place to visit. Cost five pounds per person. No need for audio as the display boards are detailed. Took us 3 hours to go round. Definitely worth a look at.

What an amazing museum . One could spend an entire day day here. Entrance fee 100 lira. So well worth every cent. Sculptures carved from stone to the finest detail. Lot of historical facts. Over two floors. A section on coins as well. I was amazed by the sarcophagus. This was most amazing. Huge with beautiful architecture. For a historian an entire day might not be enough. A little ceramic place is found across the museum but in the same courtyard. A nice little shop is available to purchase refreshments

I absolutely loved the statues of all ancient gods and emperors, so well preserved. We came at 9 am and only had a couple of other visitors with us. Really fascinating for those who like ancient history. Entrance fee has recently gone up to 100 liras.

This is probably the largest and best museum in Istanbul. It is close to Topkapi Palace entrance and a fairly nice park. It took about 15 minutes to purchase tickets despite being only the second or third person in line, so that can be improved upon.The museum itself has a fairly decent collection. I've seen better in Rome, Napoli or Athens however. Once inside, it is fairly free of a lot of tourists. I don't think this ranks that high with other visitors, which made for a more leisurely visit. It is definitely worth a couple of hours of your time.

Spent 2 hours in this impressive, recently renovated museum. They have a wealth of well preserved sculptures, pottery, art and jewelry beautifully displayed and arranged chronologically and by origin (Roman, Greek Ottoman, Byzantine...) Was a bit disappointed in that there was very little Turkish material. The grounds are equally beautiful as it is in a park like setting and surrounded by historic structures. Well worth a visit if you have time.

Between the collection of sarcophagi dating back 2000 years, pottery and small items from Greece and Rome, and a wonderful display of the history of Troy… There really is something for everyone to indulge themselves in and to enjoy.For 100 lira, this is a must on your day trip to the Sophia and Blue Mosque!

Very good museums and a must for someone who is interested in archaeology. Alexander sarcophagus is the highlight but lots of other items, possibly too many

This contains many of the priceless treasures from all over the old Ottoman Empire. It has wonderful classical art, such as the Alexander Sarcophagus from Sidon, and is worth seeing for this alone. The tiled exhibit is underwhelming, but worth seeing if you are into such things. Unfortunately the section showing the oldest artefacts is currently closed for renovation. However, the classical section alone is still well worth seeing. Note that there can be long queues to enter this museum, as it is very close to Topkapi Palace.

Amazing! A lot of renovations have taken place since my last visit in 2019. Great creative displays of the pieces, a lot of new and interactive sections. Some very impressive pieces. This is a must see.

Excellent archeological museum with 2 large floors of artifacts. The museum has been renovated. The pieces show beautifilly.. However I didn't like my pictures with some of the modern backgrounds and various angles where you capture their various lights in your pictures. It takes about 2 hours or more to walk through the museum and costs 100 turkish lira. The lines to purchase pickets can be long especially in the afternoon.

Went to the Archaeological Museum today with no real expectations but after spending 4 hours inside, was totally blown away by the displays.For history lovers, this museum is right up there with the greats. Loved the way they just focused on the history of this area up to about the middle ages. Fantastic displays of marble relics from pre Greece to the end of the Roman Empire. Even outside there were many relics just sitting in the elements, almost as if there was no room in the museum to house them all.Minimal crowds, despite being right next door to Topkapi and only 100TL entry.Highly recommended.

Rich, beautiful, well managed and organized museum. Main themes are Phoenician sarcophagi, Román and Greek statues, Troy-related findings. In August 22 the ancient oriental pavillion was closed.

The place is very clean and really good!An historical place I wanted to visit again. The ticket entrance isn’t too cost for tourists as we received inside ( an historical view) 🖤🖤

This is a combination of 3 different museums. I really only spent a lot of time in the Archeological Museum - the building dates to 1891. The Ancient Orient Museum was closed and the Tiled Kiosk Museum didn't impress after all the tiled things I've seen in Istanbul. Almost everything I noticed here dated back at least 2,000 to 3,000 years and some to 4,000 years or so. Most of the larger items are on completely open display; very little is behind glass or "out of reach" - though, of course, one is not supposed to touch.A couple of my favorite pieces were the Sarcophagus of Alexander the Great and the Sidamara sarcophagus - the largest of the ancient world. There are many other great sarcophagi.The sculptures are wonderful as are the gold jewelry items (e.g. amazing fine work crowns) dating from 400 BC to 200 AD.

Excellent museum with a lot of artefacts belonging to Roman, Greek and Ottoman period. At least 2-3 hours are needed if you are a history enthusiast !

That's the first impression. Excellent experience and amazing pieces to enjoy. Sculptures are fascinating and in the other building they've got wonderful painted pieces.

Easy access, low entrance price. Unfortunately the Ancient Orient section is closed for renovation.A good experience.

Here you can see all the historical stuff what we could safe from the foreigners who stole many historical stuff all over Turkey in the 18th - 19th and in the 20th century.Especially the marble sarcophagus in this museum are beautiful, also the marble statues are great.You will enjoy your visit in this museum.When you like to see all the stolen marble statues or the other marble stuff what was from the, then you have to visit Berlin - London - Paris - New York or other cities all around the world.