The Museum of Anatolian Civilisations in Ankara was founded by Turkish President Kemal Ataturk in 1921. The museum is housed in buildings dating back to the fifteenth century, which served as a covered market and caravanserai during the reign of Mehmet the Conqueror.
The caravanserai building houses the working and service area of the museum with a library, offices, conference room, laboratory and workshop. The exhibitions themselves are located on the territory of the former market in peculiar niches. They contain exhibits that relate to the history and culture of all the peoples living on the land of Anatolia since the Palaeolithic period. In addition, there are large collections of ancient Greek and Roman historical artefacts, as well as items from the Byzantine and Ottoman empires. Further on, in chronological order, there are objects that were found during excavations, belonging to the Neolithic, Bronze Age, Assyrian colonisation, Hittite and Phrygian rule, and Urartu kingdom. The pride of the museum is the Neolithic finds, which are about eight thousand years old. These are ceramic and clay household items decorated with drawings, tools and jewellery. The Bronze Age is represented by animal statuettes and various items made of gold. The era of the Assyrian trading colonies is characterised by clay tablets with Assyrian scripts, which provide much insight into the facts of this period of history. The museum also displays finds of the Hittite rule - various statuettes of gods, animals and vessels. Most of the exhibits of the Phrygian kingdom were taken from the royal burial ground located on the hill of Gordion, which was considered the capital of the Phrygian state. Various wooden pieces of furniture, ceramic and metal vases, etc. were found there.
Now the museum is fully adapted for foreign tourists to visit it, if necessary, you can hire an English-speaking guide. In the 1990s, the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations was named European Museum of the Year.
