Aksaray Museum

Aksaray Museum is a cultural institution located in the city center of Aksaray, often described as the gateway to Cappadocia in Türkiye’s Central Anatolia Region, shedding light on the thousands of years of history of Anatolian civilizations. The museum was first established in 1969 within the historic Zinciriye Medresesi, a structure dating to the Karamanoğlu Beylik period. It was relocated to a modern building in 2006 and reopened to the public in 2014 with a new chronological exhibition layout.

Location and Architectural Structure

The museum is situated at 16, 5719 Sokak, 5th Bulvar, Konya Caddesi, Hacılar Harmanı Mahallesi. The building spans 10,200 m² of open space and 2,400 m² of indoor area, and consists of three floors. Its architecture draws inspiration from Anatolian Seljuk kümbets and the unique fairy chimneys of Cappadocia. The interior is enriched with interconnected exhibition halls linked by corridors and supporting spaces.

Exhibition Areas and Collections

The museum comprises four main exhibition halls: Archaeology, Ethnography, Mummies, and Coins.

Archaeology Hall

This section displays artifacts excavated from major archaeological sites in the region, including Aşıklı Höyük, Güvercinkayası, and Acemhöyük. One of the most remarkable pieces is a skull belonging to a young woman who lived 10,500 years ago and bears the earliest known evidence of brain surgery (trepanation). Also exhibited are tools made of obsidian, stone mortars, fired clay vessels, and figurines.

Skull with Evidence of Brain Surgery (Trepanation) (Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye)

Mummy Hall

Human and cat mummies from the Byzantine period are among the hall’s most compelling exhibits. These mummies, primarily recovered from the Çanlı Kilise in Akhisar Village, under Aksaray’s jurisdiction, and from the Ihlara Valley, are regarded as tangible evidence of the belief in afterlife in Cappadocia. The museum’s collection includes four well-preserved human mummies, one of which is incomplete, along with child mummies and two cat mummies.

Child Mummies (Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye)

Ethnography Hall

This section illuminates the recent history of Aksaray through items reflecting local folk culture: traditional garments such as three-piece skirts, cepken, and bindallı; wooden and mother-of-pearl inlaid household items; steel swords, pistols, healing bowls, kitchen and bathroom utensils, and handwoven carpets and kilims. This collection offers profound insights into the socio-cultural fabric of the region by documenting daily life and ceremonial traditions.

Coin Collection

The coin collection comprises gold, silver, bronze, and copper coins from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman periods. Another notable artifact is a cannon dating from World War I, a significant component of the museum’s modern history collection.

Sandukalı Grave Stones

The Seljuk-period sandukalı grave stones in the museum’s open-air and stone artifact collection represent some of the most refined examples of stonemasonry. These sarcophagi, dating from the 13th to 15th centuries and primarily sourced from the Ervah Cemetery, are adorned with floral motifs (rumi, palmette, scroll vine, lotus), geometric patterns (zencerek), architectural decorations (fluted columns), and symbolic objects (lanterns, vases). Crafted from marble and brown tuff stone, they were meticulously carved using high-relief and incision techniques. These works reflect both the elegance of Seljuk art and the belief in life after death.

Archaeological and Artistic Highlights

• A Seljuk-period divination bowl bearing the zodiac cycle (a similar piece is only known to exist in the Metropolitan Museum)
• A vase decorated with an eagle and duck combat scene executed in the ajur technique
• A 2nd-century Roman amber ring scraper

Amber Ring Scraper (Museum)

• Late Hittite hieroglyphic stelae, Roman-era eagle and lion statues, tomb stelae, sarcophagi, inscriptions, and architectural fragments
• Glass tear bottles spanning from the Neolithic to the Ottoman period, obsidian blades, fired clay figurines, and seals