Turkey Travel一Visiting Museum of Anatolian Civilizations

Courtyard of Museum of Anatolian Civilizations

The Anatolians were Indo-European-speaking peoples of the Anatolian Peninsula in present-day Turkey, identified by their use of the Anatolian languages.

The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations ⭐is located on the south side of Ankara Castle in Ankara, Turkey.

Map of the geographic region of Anatolia (Golden, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

 
Within this Ottoman building, the museum has a number of exhibits of Anatolian archeology. They start with the Paleolithic era, and continue chronologically through the Neolithic, Early Bronze, Assyrian trading colonies, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian, Greek, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuq and Ottoman periods.^[1]

Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, which ran through the historic Silk Road trading route. Century after century, the area was raided and invaded by a who's who of European empire builders. The Hittites, the Persians, Alexander the Great, the Romans, the Byzantines, and the Ottomans all laid claim to the land at one time or another.

 

Photo Gallery

The below photos were taken on 03/25/2023.

Neolithic Age (8000-5500 BC)

Gobekli Tepe Obelisks 一T-shaped monumental obelisks, which are the most characteristic items of Gobekli Tepe (a Neolithic archaeological site)

Various animal depictions can be seen on the replicas of T-shaped obelisks that are on the display in the museum.  Along with  animal figures such as wild ducks, a strong male wild boars, foxes, cranes, vultures, bald ibis birds, scorpions, snakes, lions, there are headless human figures as well as geometric patterns and network motifs reliefs on the obelisks. Only male animals are  depicted on the obelisks.  The richness of animal figures indicates the important role held by animals in the spiritual world of Gobekli Tepe society.

Illustration of Gobekli Tepe Temple Construction

Goddess Figurine, 5730 B.C

The female figurine, which has been associated with both agricultural and human fertility because of her huge breasts and wide hips, is depicted sitting between two leopards, suggesting a strong social persona.  

Çatalhöyük is an ancient human settlement located in modern day Turkey.
It dates back to the Neolithic era, or the New Stone Age.

Chalcolithic Age (Copper-Stone; 5500-3000 BC)

2nd half of 6th Millennium B.C.

Early Bronze Age (3000-1950 BC)

Sun Disk (Bronze, 2250 B.C.)

Alacahöyük is the site of a Neolithic and Hittite settlement
and is an important archaeological site (2500-2250 B.C.)

Female Statuette (End of 3th Millennium B.C.) 

Assyrian Trade Colonies (1950-1750 BC)

29 Rabbit shaped ritual vessel
30 Eagle head shaped ritual vessel
31 Boar shaped ritual vessel

Masa Table (8th Century B.C.; unearthed from Gordion-Great Tumulus)

Masa Table from different angle

Vazo Vase (Terra Cotta or earthenware)

Top: Goose shaped vessel; Left: Mug; Right: Askos

Left: Large painted jug (6th Century B.C.)
Right: Large Jug  (6th Century B.C.)

Urartu relief column element (700 B.C.)
On each side of the column element, the same scene is depicted.  

1. Winged Demon (Ivory)
2. Seated Lion Figurine (Ivory)
3.  Mask (Ivory)
4. Plaque in the shape of Tree of Life (Ivory)
5. Deer shaped plaque (Ivory)
6. Plaque in the Shape of Clasped Hand (Ivory)
7.  Palmette Shaped Plaque (Ivory)
8. Lion Figure (Ivory)

100^th anniversary (1921 - 2021) 

Entrance of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations

Open square in front of the museum

References

1. Turkey’s ‘Fairy Chimneys’ Were Millions of Years in the Making