The Izmir Archaeological Museum () is an

archeology Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes. Archaeolo ...

museum in

İzmir İzmir is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. It is on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, and is the capital of İzmir Province. In 2024, the city of İzmir had ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, containing a number of artifacts from around the

Gulf of İzmir The Gulf of İzmir (), formerly known as the Gulf of Smyrna, is a gulf on the Aegean Sea, with its inlet between the Karaburun Peninsula and the mainland area of Foça. It is in length by in breadth, with an excellent anchorage. The city of İz ...

. Most of the artifacts, which include busts, statues, statuettes, tools, and various eating and cooking utensils, come from the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

, or from the Greek and Roman periods.

History

The museum was established in 1924. It was built on the site of an abandoned church, called Saint Voukolos Church. The museum opened to the public in 1927. The archaeology museum was later moved to the National Education Pavilion in the Culture Park, which in turn was converted into a museum in 1951. But archaeological work in İzmir,

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; , or ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, Turkey. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna ...

, and the neighboring ancient cities necessitated a larger museum. A new museum was subsequently established in 1984. The museum has exhibits from ancient sites like

Bayraklı Bayraklı is a municipality and district of İzmir Province, Turkey. Its area is 30 km2, and its population is 299,859 (2024). It covers the northern part of the metropolitan area of İzmir İzmir is the List of largest cities and tow ...

(ancient Smyrna),

Ephesus Ephesus (; ; ; may ultimately derive from ) was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, in present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built in the 10th century BC on the site of Apasa, the former Arzawan capital ...

Pergamon Pergamon or Pergamum ( or ; ), also referred to by its modern Greek form Pergamos (), was a rich and powerful ancient Greece, ancient Greek city in Aeolis. It is located from the modern coastline of the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north s ...

Miletus Miletus (Ancient Greek: Μίλητος, Mílētos) was an influential ancient Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia, near the mouth of the Maeander River in present day Turkey. Renowned in antiquity for its wealth, maritime power, and ex ...

Aphrodisias Aphrodisias (; ) was a Hellenistic Greek city in the historic Caria cultural region of western Asia Minor, today's Anatolia in Turkey. It is located near the modern village of Geyre, about east/inland from the coast of the Aegean Sea, and s ...

Clazomenae Klazomenai () or Clazomenae was one of the 12 cities of ancient Ionia (the others being Chios, Samos, Phocaea, Erythrae, Teos, Lebedus, Colophon, Ephesus, Priene, Myus, and Miletus). It is located at the south coast of Smyrna Gulf, Ion ...

Teos Teos () or Teo was an ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, on a peninsula between Chytrium and Myonnesus. It was founded by Minyans from Orchomenus, Ionians and Boeotians, but the date of its foundation is unknown. Teos was one of the t ...

, and

Iasos Iasos or Iassos (; ''Iasós'' or ''Iassós''), also in Latinized form Iasus or Iassus (), was a Ancient Greece, Greek city in ancient Caria located on the Gulf of Iasos (now called the Güllük Gulf, Gulf of Güllük), opposite the modern town ...

. Two gardens, one in the front and one in the back, portray the history of western

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

. The İzmir Archaeological Museum is one of the first built in Western Anatolia and contains a collection of artifacts of the

Aegean Region The Aegean region () is one of the 7 Geographical regions of Turkey, geographical regions of Turkey. The largest city in the region is İzmir. Other big cities are Manisa, Aydın, Denizli, Muğla, Afyonkarahisar and Kütahya. Located in w ...

. The museum's collection has been categorized as a regional museum rather than a local one because of the importance of its collection. The Museum is located in Konak, in the central part of the city. It is within walking distance of

Konak Square Konak Square () is a busy square at the southern end of Atatürk Avenue in the Konak district of İzmir, Turkey. The square is named after the '' Vali Konağı'' (Governor's Mansion) of İzmir Province, which is located here ('' konak'' means ' ...

Gallery

File:Izmir Museum March 2011 6494.jpg, Lebes File:İzmir Archaeological Museum 6539.jpg, Oinochoe File:İzmir Archaeological Museum 6492.jpg, Vessel File:İzmir Archaeological Museum 2510 1.jpg, Appliques File:İzmir Archaeological Museum 2516.jpg, Earrings File:Izmir Archaeology museum Hellenistic sculpture 2490.jpg, Athlete detail File:Izmir Museum October 2015 2487 1.jpg, Bronze Demeter

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Izmir Archeological Museum Museums in İzmir Archaeological museums in Turkey Museums of ancient Greece in Turkey Museums of ancient Rome in Turkey Museums established in 1924 1924 establishments in Turkey