Gordion Museum

Gordion Museum was established in 1963 next to Yassıhöyük, a village with a population of 500 at the time, located in the Polatlı district of Ankara. This site, region, lies at the confluence of the Sakarya (Sangarios) and Porsuk rivers, along the Ankara-Eskişehir highway, 18 km northwest of Polatlı, place. In the 1990s, the museum was expanded with additional storage facilities, laboratories, and exhibition and information halls, enriching its open and indoor display areas. In 2000, it reached the finals of the Museum of the Year competition in Europe and became one of Turkey’s important museums.

Gordion Museum (turkishmuseums)

History and Location

Gordion is an ancient settlement that has been inhabited since the Early Bronze Age (3000 BCE). Its most prosperous period was during the 750–700 BCE reign of city, after which it was destroyed by the Cimmerians in the early 7th century BCE. Under Persian rule, Gordion persisted until the first half of the 6th century BCE, and was conquered by Alexander the Great in 333 BCE, where the famous famous Knot was cut. The site bears witness to over 4000 years of history, including the Hellenistic Period period (300–100 BCE), the Roman period (1st century BCE–4th century CE), and the Seljuk period (11th–13th century CE).

When founded in 1963, the museum was designed to display artifacts excavated from Gordion. The museum presents a chronological exhibition, representing each period with characteristic examples.

Gordion Museum (turkishmuseums)

Museum Exhibits

The artifacts displayed at the Gordion Museum span from the Early Bronze Age through the Middle and Late Bronze Age, Early Phrygian period, Hellenistic Era period, and Roman era. Major exhibits include:

• Early Bronze Age and Early Phrygian Period: Artifacts from the Early Bronze Age and handmade pot pottery, iron tools, and textile production implements (loom weights) from the Early Phrygian period (750–700 BCE), which ended with the reign of Midas, are exhibited. Notable also are Phrygian inscribed and stamped ceramics and architectural terracotta fragments.
• Early Iron Age: Relief orthostats and handmade ceramics represent this period.
• New Exhibition Hall: A typical Phrygian structure dating to the 700s BCE from the destruction layer is displayed in a panoramic vitrine. The remainder of the hall features imported ancient Greek ceramics and materials from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, dating from the 6th century BCE to the 4th century CE.
• Final Section: Seals, seal impressions, and coins from Gordion are presented to visitors, including Alexander coins dated to the 4th and 2nd centuries BCE.
• Special Artifacts: Artifacts from the Lydian period, Cybele reliefs and figurines, Hattian burial sites brought from Polatlı Höyük (burial examples belonging to one of the earliest peoples of Anatolia), and Phrygian and Roman mosaics are among the museum’s standout pieces.

Fibulae

The fibulae, first used by the Phrygians in Anatolia, are metal brooches designed to fasten clothing. Operating on a principle similar to modern safety pins, these items, due to their intricate craftsmanship, became symbols of status among the elite. Most fibulae are made of bronze, but examples in gold, silver and brass have also been found. They were often placed as grave offerings in burials where they were worn on garments.

Phrygian Tumuli

The area around Gordion is covered with various-sized tumuli constructed between the late 8th century BCE and the mid-6th century BCE. Among these structures, which serve as tombs for Phrygian nobles and elites, the Great Tumulus stands out. With a diameter of 300 meters and a height of 55 meters, it is Turkey’s second-largest tumulus. Excavated in 1957, it was opened to the public in the 1960s with a concrete support structure designed by Turkish engineering.

Galat Tomb “Tumulus O”

Discovered in 1954 through illegal excavations and named “Tumulus O” by the Gordion excavation team, the Galat Tomb suffered damage from human and natural causes for half a century. With intervention from the Culture Ministry, the tomb’s stone blocks were numbered and relocated to the grounds of the Gordion Museum, where it was reconstructed and reopened to the public in 1999.

The Gordion Museum is a unique institution reflecting the rich history and cultural heritage of Gordion, the capital of the Phrygian Kingdom. Through its chronological exhibits, tumuli, and special artifacts, it offers visitors a journey through 4000 years of history. Located 90 km from Ankara, this museum is an essential destination for archaeology enthusiasts.