Kayseri Archaeology Museum

Kayseri Archaeology Museum

Located in a region that has witnessed major and transformative developments since prehistoric times, Kayseri has a long and deeply rooted tradition of museology. The origins of museum activities in the city date back to the late Ottoman period. Following a circular issued by Osman Hamdi Bey, which instructed provincial authorities to send the most important movable antiquities to Istanbul and to collect the remaining artifacts in suitable and secure school buildings, many artifacts gathered from the Kayseri region were placed under protection in a room of Kayseri High School.

In 1928, during a visit to Kayseri, the then Minister of National Education, Esat Bey, inspected these artifacts and discussed the establishment of a museum with Governor Fuat Bey. Through the efforts of Governor Fuat Bey, Hunat Hatun Madrasa was restored, and on 1 March 1930, the museum was officially opened. Until 1937, the institution functioned as a “Depot Museum,” primarily serving as a storage and conservation facility. After the artifacts were classified in a chronological and scientific manner, the museum was opened to the public in 1938, with an entrance fee of five kuruş.

In 1948, systematic archaeological excavations were initiated by Prof. Dr. Tahsin Özgüç at Kültepe Kaniš/Karum, located approximately 22 kilometers northeast of Kayseri. The increasing number of artifacts uncovered during these excavations, along with items purchased from or donated by the local population, gradually created space constraints in both the exhibition and storage areas of the museum. As a result, construction of the current museum building began in 1965, and the museum was officially opened to visitors on 26 June 1969.

Originally operating as a museum at Hunat Hatun Madrasa from 1 March 1930, the Kayseri Museum was relocated in 1969 to its new purpose-built facility in the Melikgazi district, Gültepe neighborhood, on Kışla Street. However, due to the growing collection and expanding museological needs, the building eventually became insufficient. With a protocol signed on 30 April 2012 between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, it was decided that the museum would be relocated to a new building constructed by the Metropolitan Municipality within the Inner Castle of Kayseri.

The museum displays artifacts brought to the directorate from Kayseri and its surrounding regions, as well as finds unearthed during the continuous excavations at Kültepe Kaniš/Neša, which have been ongoing since 1948. The collection is presented across 13 permanent exhibition halls, including:

• Chalcolithic Period Hall
• Early Bronze Age Hall
• Tablet Hall
• Assyrian Trade Colonies Period Hall
• Hittite Period Hall
• Late Hittite Stone Artifacts Hall
• Archaic and Classical Period Halls
• Hellenistic Period Hall
• Roman Period Hall
• Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Period Hall
• Seljuk Period Hall
• Ottoman Period Hall

In addition to these permanent displays, the museum also features one temporary exhibition hall, which hosts rotating exhibitions throughout the year.

Construction and restoration works for the new museum building were initiated by the Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality in 2013 and were completed in May 2019, after which the building was officially handed over to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The relocation of artifacts began in May, and the processes of transportation, exhibition planning, and display arrangement were completed by September 2019.

The new Kayseri Museum was officially opened to visitors on Saturday, 19 October 2019, during a mass opening ceremony held with the attendance of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and with the participation of General Director Gökhan Yazgı.

Today, with its modern exhibition design, extensive collections, and historically significant artifacts—particularly those from Kültepe Kaniš/Neša, one of Anatolia’s most important archaeological sites—the Kayseri Museum stands as a major cultural institution, offering visitors a comprehensive journey through thousands of years of Anatolian history.