Museum of Anatolian Civilizations

Museum of Anatolian Civilizations is an archaeology museum located in the Atpazarı neighborhood of Ulus district in Ankara, the capital of Türkiye, on the southeast wall of Ankara Castle. It was established by restoring two historic buildings from the Ottoman period: Mahmut Paşa Bedesteni and Kurşunlu Han. The museum displays archaeological artifacts spanning from the Paleolithic Era to the present day in chronological order and holds a unique collection that places it among the world’s leading museums. In this context, on 19 May 1997 it was selected first among 68 museums in Lausanne, Switzerland, and awarded the title “Museum of the Year in Europe”.

Historical Background of the Buildings

It is estimated that the Mahmut Paşa Bedesteni was built between 1464 and 1471 by Mahmut Paşa, one of the grand viziers during the reign of Fatih Sultan Mehmed. Although no inscription has been found, the building is known to follow the typical Ottoman bedesten plan. It consists of a covered central space supported by ten columns and 102 shops with cradle vaults surrounding it. According to historical sources, the distribution of Ankara’s fine woolen fabrics took place in this bedesten.

Kurşunlu Han was constructed by Mehmet Paşa, another grand vizier of the Fatih period, as a caravanserai for his imaret in the Üsküdar district of Istanbul. The absence of an inscription is compensated by coins from the reign of II. Murat discovered during restoration work in 1946, confirming its existence in the first half of the 15th century. As a typical Ottoman city han, it features a central courtyard surrounded by arcades and two-story rooms. Both buildings were abandoned after the fire of 1881 and later restored for use as a museum.

Foundation and Development of the Museum

The first idea for a museum in Ankara was proposed in 1921 by Mübarek Galip Lord, Director of Culture, who established a small collection in the Akkale Tower of Ankara Castle. However, due to the limited capacity of this space and the desire to establish a central “Ethnography Museum”, a larger venue was needed. With the concentration of Hittite artifacts in Ankara, the restoration of Mahmut Paşa Bedesteni and Kurşunlu Han was proposed in 1936 by Hamit Zübeyr Koşay, Director of Hars. Restoration work began in 1938 and was completed in 1968.

The restoration of the domed central space of the bedesten was finished in 1940, and artifacts were first placed by a team led by German archaeologist H. Guterbock. This section opened to the public in 1943. The museum attained its final form in 1968: Mahmut Paşa Bedesteni became the exhibition hall and Kurşunlu Han was converted into administrative building.

Collections and Sections

The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations presents the archaeological heritage of Anatolia in chronological order:

• Paleolithic Period Section: Stone tools, microlithic weapons and findings related to the hunter-gatherer period dating from one million years ago to 11,000 years ago are displayed.

• Neolithic Period Section: Covering the period from 10,000 to 5,500 BCE, this section is represented by finds from Çatalhöyük and Hacılar. The origins of agriculture, animal domestication and the Çatalhöyük wall mural, considered the world’s first urban plan, attract particular attention.

• Chalcolithic Period Section: This period, from 5,500 to 3,000 BCE, marks the beginning of copper craftsmanship and is represented by artifacts from Hacılar, Canhasan and Alacahöyük such as centers.

• Early Bronze Age Section: Artifacts from the period 3000–1950 BCE, when city-states emerged, include bronze, gold and silver objects recovered from the royal tombs of Alacahöyük and Horoztepe king.

• Assyrian Trade Colonies Section: This period, beginning in the early 2nd millennium BCE, marks the start of written history in Anatolia and is represented by the Kültepe tablets and ritons.

• Hittite Section: Artifacts from the Hittite state, Anatolia’s first centralized polity (1750–1200 BCE), include the İnandık vase, bronze tablet and nail inscriptions.

• Phrygian Section: Metal and wood craftsmanship examples from the Phrygians, who entered Anatolia after 1200 BCE, are displayed with finds from the Gordion Tumuli.

• Urartian Section: Bronze and ivory artifacts from the Urartian Kingdom, established in eastern Anatolia between 900 and 600 BCE, are highlighted by the distinctive lion statuette from Altıntepe.

• Stone Objects Hall: Reliefs from the Hittite and Late Hittite periods, Phrygian tomb decorations and the statue of King Mutallu are exhibited here.

Significance of the Museum

The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations offers a historical journey through innovative exhibition methods such as virtual tours and Göbeklitepe replicas, updated in 2014. Its garden contains funerary stelae and sculptures from the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods. With its rich collection encompassing the history of Anatolia, the museum is a preferred destination for both scholarly researchers and visitors.