The Istanbul Archaeological Museum is one of the largest museums in the world. It put about one million artifacts and works belonging to the different cultures of the time. The museum's collection contains works belonging to civilizations that existed on the territory of Africa to the Balkans, Anatolia and the Arabian peninsula, Mesopotamia, Afghanistan and the Ottoman Empire.

The Istanbul Archaeological Museum is located in three buildings, which are located at the Topkapi Palace in the territory of the first courtyard. Its structure also includes the Museum of Turkish Ceramics and the Museum of the Ancient Orient. These museums were opened in 1891 and are required to Osman Hamdi Bey - Turkish artist, diplomat of the XIX century, archaeologists and museum curators, their existence. It Osman offered to build a new museum already in 1891. The first part of the new building was opened. Plan it drew architect Alexander Vallauri, Franco-Turkish origin, in the image and likeness of the sarcophagus called "Weeping Woman" Western neoclassical design. The structure of the third part of the building completed in 1908. Said Osman Hamdi donated for the construction of the museum in its annual earnings. Then, in 1884, a ban on the export of archaeological sites abroad, the new provisions included in the law on relics.

The museum in 1935 became the Museum of the Ancient Orient, which is located in the building of the School of Fine Arts. Later, he was joined by Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum. Since 1953 he is in the tiled hall. It was built in 1472 to accommodate the harem of Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror, who belonged to one of the oldest architectural monuments of the Ottoman Empire.

Since 1991, the work room of antique sculptures and sarcophagi Archaeological Museum were re-exposed in this complex sector, which consists of the main building of the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of ancient eastern works, tile museum pavilion rooms with chasing, the archive plates, laboratories, libraries and other all kinds of extensions .  One of the most valuable collections of the museum are the sarcophagi of Sidon (ancient Syria) .  They are on display in its original form, but a little more modern atmosphere .  These sarcophagi represent different architectural styles that have evolved under the influence of cultures Phoenicia and Egypt .  One of the most famous among the exhibits is the sarcophagus of Alexander, found by archaeologists in 1887 and covered with beautiful carvings depicting scenes from the battle and life, as the first thought of Alexander the Great .  However, it was later proved that the sarcophagus belonged Abdalonimosu - the king of the Zidonians .  There, in the necropolis of Sidon it was found well preserved sarcophagus of Weeping Women with intricately carved panels on which was a picture of a woman in mourning .  There are also other sarcophagi from Sidon, for example, Satrap - king Tabnita .  In addition, the museum has a statue of a lion is in the tombstone ruler Mausolus - Mausoleum of Halicarnassus .  The Archaeological Museum of the fragments of the statues of antiquity, brought here from the temple of Zeus Pergamon, the objects found during the excavations of Troy and details of the Temple of Athena from Assos .

The museum contains a large collection of chronological remnants of the material culture of the ancient inhabitants, found in the area. These exhibits shed light on the history and origins of Istanbul. At the entrance to the museum is a statue of a lion, which was found in the mausoleum Halikarnassa.

The museum was housed an exhibition titled "Istanbul Through the Ages" - a rich and well-preserved exhibition was in 1993 awarded the prize of the Council of Europe. The exhibition also presents the bell and the XIV century. the Galata Tower and part of the Hippodrome Serpentine Column - restored head of the snake. At the two lower levels of exposure are exhibits devoted to the centuries-old evolution of Anatolia and Troy. There were presented and sculptures from Palestine, Cyprus and Syria. Museum of the Ancient Orient was recently renovated and it is particularly rich collection of artifacts that once belonged to the early civilizations - Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Egypt and throughout the Arab continent. There were exhibited pre-Islamic idols and deities, ancient Aramaic inscriptions and a small collection of Egyptian antiquities, which was brought here from the temple courtyard of Al-Ula.

The museum is still possible to contemplate the obelisk of Adad-nirari Third, having a wedge-shaped inscriptions. Of particular value is, and a series of colorful mosaic panels, which depict dragons with snakes' heads and bulls - elements of monumental Ishtar Gate, erected by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The oldest exhibits in the museum date back to the XIII century BC These include the sphinx from the gate Yarkapi in Hattusas and 2 of 3 tablets oldest known peace treaty (the Treaty of Kadesh), which was signed between them Ramses II and III, Hattusili the XIII century BC

Of particular interest are the historical documents made on cuneiform tablets, of which the museum has more than seventy-five pieces. The collection includes a limestone plaque with inscriptions in size 11, 1h7, 2 cm, Kotra was found in 1908, founded in X century. BC. Named it Gezer Calendar. Exhibits on a larger Siloam inscription, which is a stone the size of 1, 32h0, 21 meters, on which a story about the construction of a tunnel that connected the source of Gion and Siloam reservoir in the VIII century BC