Istanbul Archaeology Museums

The Istanbul Archaeology Museums are three buildings in one garden, between the outer courtyard of Topkapı Palace and Gülhane Park: the main Archaeology Museum, the Museum of the Ancient Orient and the Tiled Kiosk (Çinili Köşk). One entry covers all three. The collection is enormous, so pick a few rooms rather than trying to see everything.

In the main building the highlights are the sarcophagi from the royal necropolis of Sidon, above all the Alexander Sarcophagus with its battle and hunting scenes, the Sarcophagus of the Mourning Women and the Lycian Sarcophagus. The same building holds Roman sculpture and finds from Istanbul's own excavations. Across the garden, the Museum of the Ancient Orient displays the cuneiform tablet of the Treaty of Kadesh between the Hittites and Egypt, and glazed brick panels from Babylon's Ishtar Gate. The Tiled Kiosk, an Ottoman pavilion from the fifteenth century, is devoted to Seljuk and Ottoman tiles and ceramics. Plan on two to three hours.

Individual galleries sometimes close for rearrangement, so if you are coming for a particular piece, check first. The garden, scattered with sarcophagi and column capitals, is a good place for a break. It is an easy walk from Sultanahmet or through Gülhane Park, and pairs well with Topkapı Palace and Hagia Sophia on the same day. Check the hours on the museum page.