The Museum of Ancient Anatolian Civilizations was founded in. Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara. How to get to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations

Continuation of the story about the main archaeological museum of Ankara, I started it back in 2013. At that time, the museum was partially closed for reconstruction, and half of its collection was inaccessible, although I made a general post on it at one time. Now, after a second visit to the museum, I want to cover the exhibits there in more detail.
Artifacts from the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations are important not only for a better understanding of the history of Asia Minor, but of human culture in general, especially European civilization, whose origin is located precisely in the territory of modern Turkey. For here the first written and non-literate culture of the Indo-European peoples developed.

The famous Mother Goddess from Catal Huyuk (5750 BC), who became the prototype of all the main female goddesses of Greece and Asia Minor - the Hittite goddess Arina, the Phrygian Cybele, the Greek Artemis and Athena.

A lot has changed since 2013, when many tourists wandered around the museum building, even though it was partially closed. In June of this year, I toured the museum almost completely alone, except for me there was only one visitor who looked like a tourist from Europe, several local Turkish girls and a school group from Ankara. And it's all. At the entrance I was met by two Turkish police officers who inspected my things - a backpack, a camera.

The museum was indeed renovated, the historical building itself was well restored, but unfortunately, I didn’t really like the lighting in the museum; it frankly became a bit dark. Previously, lighting was simpler and more abundant, now it has become somehow more mysteriously stylish - in general, it is beautiful, but in my opinion not very functional; many small objects clearly lack light.

At the entrance we are greeted by two important artifacts - stone steles from Gobekli Tepe - the world's oldest temple complex from southeastern Turkey 10-9 thousand BC. In appearance, these pillars are more likely copies; the originals probably remained in the Sanliurfa Museum, where they were discovered.

At the top of one of the pillars you can see images of some bags-weights-irons, suspiciously similar to similar objects from Jiroft, the oldest developed civilization on the territory of Iran; I once made a separate post about it.

Some artiodactyl, similar to an angry boar, is tormenting a certain creature lying below. This is a real prototype for all Scythian tormenting animals, however, in subsequent times it was artiodactyls that were more often tormented, and not vice versa.

Photo of the Gobekli Tepe temple complex.

Reconstruction of one of the rooms of Çatalhöyük (6000 BC) The room may have had ritual significance, as it was richly decorated with images of bull heads.

Residents buried their dead under the floors of rooms (especially beds). Apparently, the bodies of the dead were previously “processed” by birds of prey. This ritual subsequently spread widely, it is possible that the people of the Trypillian culture from modern Ukraine and Romania (5000-3000 thousand BC), related to the culture of Çatalhöyük, also fed their dead to predatory animals.
This funeral rite became especially famous thanks to Iranian Zoroastrianism. It is not for nothing that Çatalhöyük is considered the ancestral home of all Indo-European culture.

Drawing of a wall image from Çatalhöyük - a bird of prey eats a man.

It must be said that the original wall paintings of Çatalhöyük do not look very photogenic; it is sometimes very difficult to make out something there, for example, here is a bird from the previous scene.

Red bull from Catalhöyük. Below, a rendering of this image.

The drawing shows that it is not a hunting scene, as was often the case in Stone Age paintings; people are running towards the red bull without weapons and seem to be happy) It is believed that this is rather a scene of bull worship and some kind of religious holiday.

Detail of an ornament from Çatalhöyük.

This is the original of the famous painting, which depicts the settlement of Catalhöyük itself against the backdrop of the local volcano.

Drawing of the settlement and the volcano, the houses of Çatalhöyük are schematically depicted in squares.

The leopard reliefs from Çatalhöyük are probably the most expressive wall images of this culture.

Vase in the form of a head from Hacilar - another important Neolithic settlement from Asia Minor (6 thousand BC)

Standing goddess and other finds from Hacilar (6 thousand BC)

Seated goddess from Hacilar, terracotta.

Just a headless beauty from Hacilar.

This, by the way, is also a woman from Hacilar.

Goddesses from Catalhöyük, terracotta.

Some kind of group scene from Çatalhöyük.

In Catalhöyük, figurines were made not only from clay, but from stone. Seated stone goddess from Çatalhöyük.

Gemini and Çatalhöyük, stone.

Two stone phallic figurines, Çatalhöyük.

The main goddess from Çatalhöyük, this image of a seated woman with animals was then used for thousands of years. We can say that this is the main goddess of all of Asia Minor. The abundance of female characters subsequently affected the appearance of such a phenomenon as the Amazons here in Anatolia, for all early mentions of the Amazons were associated exclusively with the territory of what is now Turkey.

The Mother Goddess is even more beautiful from behind than from the front.

Mysterious seal signs from Çatalhöyük.

"Maltese Cross" from Çatalhöyük.

Flint knives with bone handles from Çatalhöyük.

Sickles made of deer antler. Hacilar (6 thousand BC)

Bone products. Çatalhöyük.

Fishing hooks made of bone. Çatalhöyük.

Anthropomorphic vessel. Çatalhöyük.

Vessel in the shape of a pig. Hacilar.

Vessel from Hacilar.

Pottery from Hacilar.

Ceramic figures from Janhasan (5500-4000 BC) This settlement was located near Çatalhöyük near the modern city of Karaman.

Stone figurine of a goddess from Janhasan.

Terracotta head from Janhasan.

Seated goddess from Janhasan.

Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara (Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi) – one of the famous museums not only in Ankara, but throughout Turkey. Here is a rich collection of finds that tell about life in the Anatolian region, starting from the Stone Age.

Museum of Anatolian Civilizations on the map of Ankara

The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations is located in the historical center of Ankara near the Ulus district, next to the fortress.

Designations on the map

1. Ulus metro station

2. Fortress (Kale)

How to get to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara

To get to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, you need to go to. Then walk to the old part of Ankara to Kale (fortress).

History of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations

The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations was founded in 1921 with the direct support of Ataturk. The museum initially began with finds from the Hittite period. Now the exhibition of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations presents the most valuable finds discovered on the territory of Turkey in Central Anatolia. They cover a period ranging from prehistoric times. There are exhibits left over from many civilizations and states that at one time or another lived in the territory of modern Central Turkey - the Hittite Kingdom, Urartu, Phrygia, Assyria, Ancient Greece and Rome.

Initially, the exhibition was located in Akkula. But after a while I had to think about expansion. Since 1940, restoration began in the former covered market and caravanserai of Mahmut Pasha, which were built in 1464-1471.

After the fire of 1881, the buildings were abandoned. It was planned that there would be not only exhibition halls, but also research, as well as restoration workshops, a conference room, and a library. By 1968, the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations was fully opened.

In 1997, the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations received the European Museum of the Year award.

Exposition of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, photo

Website of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations http://www.anadolumedeniyetlerimuzesi.gov.tr

Opening hours of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations – from 8.30 to 19.00

The exhibition of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations is divided into halls, which go in chronological order, starting from Paleolithic times.

The Paleolithic Hall contains finds from the Karain cave. These are primitive tools, bones, fragments of wall paintings

The Neolithic Hall mainly displays finds from Çatal Höyük and Hacılar. In addition to artifacts, the furnishings of a home of that time have been recreated here. You can also see the recreated grave. The dead in Çatal Höyük were buried under the floor of the house.

One of the pearls of the collection is a figurine of the goddess Cybele (6000 BC). Its large copies in interior decoration to small souvenirs can be found in many places in Central Turkey, incl. in Cappadocia.

The Bronze Age hall houses finds from Aladzha Höyük. In addition to dishes and jewelry, bronze figurines are also interesting.

A figurine of a woman. The body is made of an alloy of gold and silver. The head is made of gold.

It is believed that this bronze figurine of a woman feeding a child may symbolize the “Mother of God” of the Bronze Age. Similar figurines made of gold, silver, and stone were often found in graves of that period.

The Hall of the Assyrians is based on excavations at Kültepe. Here you can see numerous clay tablets with inscriptions, figurines of deities, jewelry, and funeral masks. This era is considered the beginning of the appearance of writing in Anatolia.

The Hittite Hall collected finds from Hattusha (Bogazkale). Original gate from Boğazkale

Stone reliefs

Vessel for performing religious ceremonies from Boghazkale

Official information
Museum of Anatolian Civilizations,
Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi,
Gözcü Sokak No:2 - Ankara ,
www.anadolumedeniyetlerimuzesi.gov.tr

General information about the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations(according to published sources)

The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (Turkish: Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi, English: Museum of Anatolian Civilizations) is one of the richest museums in the world, the main historical museum of Turkey, located in its capital, Ankara.
The museum was founded in 1921. And expanded rapidly in subsequent years under the influence of Kemal Atatürk, the first president of Turkey, who wanted to create a Hittite museum in Ankara, and contributed to the acquisition of new buildings for the museum, as well as the fact that the museum received many exhibits from the surrounding areas, where the remains of ancient Hittite cities were preserved . The museum was also filled with exhibits from other ancient civilizations that were discovered in Turkey.
Currently, the museum contains collections from the Neolithic, Bronze Age, civilizations of Assyria and Urartu, Hittites and Phrygians, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, the Byzantine Empire, and the Ottoman Empire.
The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations received the European Museum of the Year award in 1997.

Source: https://ru.wikipedia.org

The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara is one of the richest museums in the world, the main historical museum of Turkey, and the third most important archaeological museum in Europe after the Louvre in Paris and the British Museum in London.
The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations was founded by Turkish President Kemal Ataturk in 1921. The museum is located in buildings built in the 15th century. V . , 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, work rooms, a conference room, a laboratory and a workshop. The exhibitions themselves are located on the territory of the former market in peculiar niches. It contains exhibits that are related to the history and culture of all peoples, living Vsh them on the land of Anatolia since Paleolithic times. In addition, there are large collections of ancient Greek and Roman historical treasures, as well as items dating back to the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. yam ...
The pride of the museum is the finds of the Neolithic era, which are about eight thousand years old. These are ceramic and clay household items decorated with drawings, tools and jewelry.
The Bronze Age is represented by animal figurines and various gold items.
The era of the Assyrian trading colonies is characterized by clay tablets with Assyrian writing, from which much has been learned about the facts of this period of history.
The museum also displays finds from the Hittite reign - various figurines of gods, animals, and vessels.
Most of the exhibits of the Phrygian kingdom were removed from the royal burial ground, which is located on Gordion Hill, which was considered the capital of the Phrygian state. There were various wooden pieces of furniture, ceramic and metal vases, etc.

Now the museum is fully adapted for visiting by foreign tourists; if necessary, you can hire an English-speaking guide. And in the 90s, the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations received the title of best European museum of the year.

The exhibition of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara is dedicated to the Khatts - the tribes of the north of Asia Minor, whose culture reached its peak between 2500 and 2000. BC. Later, their territory and they themselves were absorbed by the Hittites, who created a huge empire. It is assumed that the Hutts themselves became part of the multinational Hittite empire. Actually, the Hittites got their name from the Hutts. The Hutts may have been related to other tribes of the north and northeast of Asia Minor - the Khalibs and Khalds; all these peoples achieved great skill in metal processing (in particular, it is believed that it was the Khalibs who invented the method of making iron). The Hutts spoke languages supposedly close to modern Western Caucasian ones - Abkhazian, Adyghe.

Bronze bull of the Hutts from Alaj Huyuk, 3 thousand BC.

Hutt blacksmiths at work.

Most of the Hutt artifacts were found in the royal tombs of the city of Alaj Huyuk, the tombs date back to 2.5-2 thousand BC. As a rule, these are bronze and gold items; there is very little Hutt ceramics on display in the museum.
The Hutts especially loved to depict deer and bulls; they decorated their ceremonial standards with them, but it is not known why or how exactly they were used.

Bronze daggers of the Cypriot type. Aladzha-heyuk.

Bronze ceremonial standard. Perhaps this is an image of the solar disk. Aladzha-Hyuk.

The Hutts had three types of standards - simply bronze round plates, similar “solar disks” with animals (deer, bulls) and simply bulls and deer without “solar disks”.

The bronze bull is a Hutt ceremonial standard. Aladzha-Hyuk.

Two Hutt ceremonial standards.

Here is a more complex symbol - there is a deer and two panthers, they are turned towards the viewer with their back parts with tails.

Deer and sun disk.

Hutt deer. Aladzha-hüyük. Maybe these bronze symbols were worn on poles, maybe attached to carts.

Gold jewelry from the tombs of Aladzha Huyuk. It's scary to think how they could be used :) But still, most likely these are handles from wooden furniture.

Apparently these are the tops of a staff. Bronze, Aladzha-Hyuk.

Standing goddess from Hasanoghlan, 3 thousand BC. Gold, electrum.

From 3 thousand BC Only female images came from Anatolia, which indicates the existence of some kind of matriarchy among the Hutts. Little has changed here since the times - the main revered deity among the Hutts is apparently the Mother Goddess. Further, this tradition will continue - among the Hittites, the solar goddess of the city Arinna may also have been the supreme deity; among the Phrygians, the Goddess Ma or Cybele claimed this role, etc.

The style of the images shows that the art of the Hutts had not yet received influence from Mesopotamia, where in 3 thousand BC. There were already developed traditions of realistic depictions of people and animals. Also, patriarchal Mesopotamian religious cults had not yet appeared here, so we only see the Anatolian Mother Goddess in different forms.
It is possible that the sacred Hittite city of Arinna was the Hattian Aladzha-Hyuk, in any case this is the most suitable option, I regret that I could not get there this time.

Woman with child from Khoroztepe, 3 thousand BC. Bronze.

These are also all women; there is not a single male image of the Hutts in the museum. There are also no ceramic figurines - the Hutts made all their images from metal. Bronze figurines from Aladzha Huyuk.

Another Hutt bronze bull.

These two female bronze figures are similar to the ancient clay ones

An interesting stand, here you can trace the transformation of the figure of the Mother Goddess into a symbolic image made of alabaster, similar to a guitar. Apparently, these are finds from a more southern region - Kultepe, Kanish - the first center of the Hittite state.