Istanbul's fascinating archaeological museum

The Istanbul Archaeological Museum is an excellent way to discover the country's heritage. This museum covers the history of Turkey, from Antiquity to the Byzantine period through to the Ottoman and Islamic periods. Divided into three sections, the museum displays artefacts discovered during archaeological excavations and brought to Istanbul during the Ottoman Empire.

Istanbul's archaeological museums, divided into three museums, have existed since 1869. It was originally called the Imperial Museum.

Initially, only tombs from the 4th to 5th centuries were exhibited in Istanbul's first gallery. In fact, it was called the Museum of Sarcophagi. Over the years, however, the collection grew, necessitating the construction of additional premises, and in 1935 the second museum dedicated to the Ancient Orient was opened.

Its building is a neoclassical structure and is one of the first buildings in the world designed and built to be a museum.

The Imperial Museum (the first structure founded in 1886) was insufficient to accommodate the new works. The works were moved to the new building in 1888 (the Museum of Archaeology), designed by the famous architect Alexandre Vallery.

Today, this building houses works from the excavations carried out by Osman Hamdi Bey in Sidon (now Lebanon). These include the Tomb of Iskender, the Tomb of the Weeping Women, the Tomb of Lycia and the Tomb of Tabnit.

In the first room, you can see the handicrafts of the Turkish people and the different cultures in Turkey. There is a collection of prehistoric antiquities, Greek, Roman and ancient Byzantine artefacts, as well as a large collection of coins.

Opposite the Archaeology Museum is the Museum of Ancient Oriental Art. Here, historical and artistic works from ancient Babylon are on display. There are also pre-Islamic artefacts from ancient Egypt to Mesopotamia, from Hittite and Assyrian cuneiform tablets to Pharaonic statues.

The third museum, also known as the Museum of Islamic Art, is the oldest Ottoman structure in Istanbul. It was built in 1472 by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror as a luxurious accommodation for watching sports and games. Today, it exhibits collections of tiles and ceramics dating back to the 14th and 17th centuries, when the world's most beautiful coloured tiles were created here.

Although all the collections are remarkable, some are better known than others. Here are some of the most popular objects: The Alexander sarcophagus The Alexander sarcophagus, from the necropolis near Sidon in Lebanon, is a Hellenistic stone sarcophagus from the late 4th century BC decorated with sculptures of Alexander the Great. The design is exceptionally well preserved.

Egyptian-Hittite peace treaty

The Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty is the only treaty in the Near East known to be the oldest peace treaty in existence.

Way glazed brick panel at Ishtar Gate

Some sources claim that the Ishtar Gate was the eighth gate of the inner city of Babylon. It was built in the northern part of the city around 575 BC on the orders of King Nebuchadnezzar II. It was part of the great processional road leading to the city. The walls were painted entirely in blue with glazed tiles.