Turkey Guide
North Central Anatolia
Museum of Anatolian Civilizations
Address: From İnönü Parkı, at the eastern end of Hisarparkı Caddesi, a sharp right turn leads to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations
Opening time: Daily 8.30am–5.15pm
Price: 10YTL
The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi) is an outstanding archeological collection documenting the peoples and cultures of Anatolia from the late Stone Age through to Classical times. When you see a replica artefact at an archeological site elsewhere in Turkey, you can bet the original is here. Housed in a restored fifteenth-century bedesten, this unmissable museum is, for most visitors, the highpoint of a visit to Ankara.
Its vast cache of artefacts is laid out in chronological order, clockwise from the entrance, with large stone reliefs dating from the Hittite and Phrygian periods in the central chamber. Most exhibits are clearly labelled in English and German. As you enter, you may be approached by an official guide offering to accompany you on your tour. If you have 40YTL or so to spare, and like the look of whoever approaches you, this can be worth doing – many of the guides are moonlighting academics and correspondingly well informed.
The collection concludes with a look at finds from the most recent excavations, and then spills Greek and Roman statuary over into the café and outdoor garden. The museum bookshop offers a fine catalogue, postcards and some useful, if pricey, introductory history books.