Antalya Museum

Antalya Museum

The Antalya Museum, also known as Antalya Müzesi, was established in 1922 by Süleyman Fikri Erten, a teacher who sought to safeguard the artifacts that had been saved from the looting of occupying forces after World War I. Initially housed in the Alaaddin Mosque located in the Kaleiçi district, the museum was later relocated to its present building in 1972. Today, the Antalya Museum spans over 30,000 square meters, consisting of 14 exhibition halls, open-air galleries displaying sculptures and other artifacts, and a garden.

Antalya Museum

The museum's responsibility region encompasses a significant part of Lycia, Pamphylia, and Pisidia, three ancient cultural regions that were under the jurisdiction of the Antalya region. Every year, scientists from various countries, including Hungary and Bulgaria, conduct excavations in Antalya. With its archaeological richness and open-air setting, Antalya is a unique international excavation center, and the Antalya Museum has carried out numerous salvage projects over the years.

The Antalya Museum is an archaeological and cultural history museum that also showcases ethnographic pieces. Its exhibits, displayed in organized halls, reflect thousands of years of history in Antalya, starting from early human settlements and extending uninterrupted to modern times. The museum's collection of Roman period sculptures found in Ancient Perge is particularly noteworthy, as are the interesting and unique finds unearthed from recent excavations. The Council of Europe recognized the museum's importance by awarding it the Museum of the Year award in 1988.