During my stroll in Izmir, I had some time to explore several landmarks of the city, including the Archaeological Museum. Today, I'll show you what I saw in its exhibition halls.
How to Get There
I walked to the museum from the central part of the city. You can also reach it by metro, bus, or tram; based on online maps, their stops are quite close to the exhibition complex. If you choose the subway option, the nearest station is Konak.
The entrance fee to the museum in the summer of 2023 was 50 Turkish liras.
A Bit of History
The opening of an archaeological museum in modern Izmir is quite logical, considering that settlements in this area appeared about five thousand years ago. Moreover, in the western and southern parts of Turkey, there are many amazing ancient architectural monuments. Among the most famous is the city of Ephesus, to which I found myself heading during this trip.
The first Archaeological Museum in Izmir was opened in one of the city's churches in 1927. After 24 years, another exhibition building was added to the museum. The complex we can visit today has its history since 1984, created due to the need for larger spaces for collections. The museum's exhibition spaces cover an area of 5,000 square meters.
The collection mainly consists of ancient sculptures, decorative elements, household items, and cult objects. The museum's pride is two bronze statues from ships that sank in the Aegean Sea.
A small part of the exhibition is dedicated to the archaeological excavations of the Agora of Smyrna. I talked about this fascinating ancient monument in one of my previous articles.
From my perspective, this museum didn't seem to be the most interesting place in the city. Moreover, many tourists might find it frankly boring. However, if you have already visited other significant places in the city, such as the Agora, explored all the pedestrian routes, and have some free time, why not drop by here?
In a building from the 19th century nearby, there is the exhibition of the Izmir Ethnography Museum, but I couldn't get there: on that day, the exhibition space was closed to visitors.
I conclude my series of stories about the trip to Izmir with a walk through this museum. I'd like to remind you that I stayed here during my journey to ancient Ephesus. If you haven't read my article about visiting this remarkable open-air monument, I invite you to do so now.
Have a nice trip!
