Anatolian Civilizations Museum

To understand Turkey before the Greeks and Romans arrived, this is the museum to choose. Ankara's Museum of Anatolian Civilizations takes you through roughly ten thousand years of life in Anatolia: Stone Age hunters, the earliest farming towns, the Hittite empire, King Midas and the Phrygians, and the Urartians of the eastern highlands. It occupies two restored Ottoman buildings from the 15th century beneath Ankara Castle, and a visit lasts around two hours.

Quick facts

The buildings

The collection is shown in the Mahmut Pasa Bedesten, a 15th-century covered market, and in the Kursunlu Han next to it, a former inn. The domed central hall of the bedesten displays the big Hittite stone reliefs. The museum took its present form in the mid-20th century to present the early cultures of Anatolia, at a time when the young Republic wanted to show off that long past. In 1997 it received the European Museum of the Year award.

Highlights

• Catalhoyuk. Objects from one of the oldest towns on earth, dating to around 7000 BC: wall paintings, figurines and the well-known clay seated woman with a big cat on either side.
• Bronze Age gold. Gold and bronze pieces from the royal tombs of Alacahoyuk, among them standards with stags and sun discs.
• Assyrian trading posts. Clay tablets and seals from Kultepe, near Kayseri, left by Assyrian traders around 1900 BC and among the earliest written documents discovered in Anatolia.
• Hittites. In the domed central hall, large carved stones show gods, kings, warriors and hunts from Hittite and later sites.
• Phrygians. Bronze vessels, wooden furniture and other finds from the burial mound at Gordion, the Phrygian capital associated with King Midas.
• Urartu. Bronze helmets, shields and decorated pieces from the Urartian kingdom around Lake Van.

2026-2027 closures

The official museum website says the Ankara Hall and the Classical Hall are shut for maintenance between 14 September 2026 and 2 March 2027. These two sections show later Roman and Classical material. The core prehistoric, Hittite, Phrygian and Urartian displays stay open, but check the official site before your visit.

Who it suits

You do not need to be an archaeology enthusiast; anyone with an interest in the distant past will get something from it. The displays are compact, with labels in Turkish and English, so two hours on your own is easy. It is particularly worthwhile before visiting Cappadocia, Hattusa or Gordion, since many of the finest objects from those areas are here. Young children may tire in the long run of halls; the gold pieces and the Hittite reliefs tend to keep them interested longest.

When to go

Weekday mornings are the calmest, as school groups tend to arrive later. Being indoors, the museum is comfortable all year. Pair it with the short uphill walk to Ankara Castle for views across the city.

The museum is part of our longer private tours across central Turkey. Both the 7 Days Turkey Tour Package and the 12 Days Best of Turkey Private Tour include the Anatolian Civilizations Museum as well as Cappadocia, Ephesus and Pamukkale. It is also on the 9 Days Turkey Tour Package, which adds Troy and Pergamon.

Practical tips

• Walk the route in date order. It begins in the Stone Age and is easier to follow that way.
• Taking photos without flash is generally permitted.
• Anitkabir is a short taxi ride away, so you can see both on one day.
• If Cappadocia or Hattusa are on your plan, come here first for the background.
• Between the museum and the castle, the lanes are lined with old Ankara houses, small craft shops and cafés, handy for a rest afterwards.

Frequently Asked Questions