Museum of the Ancient East is part of the Archeological Museum, which after renovation and remodeling (1917-1919 and 1932-1935 gg GG) entered into its composition in 1935. The building was constructed to accommodate organized (1883) Osman Hamdi Bey School of Fine Arts at the Imperial Museum.

The Museum of the Ancient Orient represented a particularly rich collection of artefacts and archaeological finds from all regions of the Middle East relates to the Ottoman Empire before and 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 last renovation took place here in the years 1963-1974, and after that an updated plan to the new museum reopened its doors to visitors. Here you can admire the objects representing material and spiritual culture of the mighty and ancient Babylon of Egypt and Assyria. Exhibits one of the rooms is fully reflects the culture and life of Urartu, located on the north-east of Anatolia. This is another mysterious power that disappeared in the XIII century. BC. It was inhabited by the Hittites. The most interesting exhibits in the museum found statues of the kings of Lagash Gudea, Khamurappi from Babylon, Salmansara III, and, of course, a porcelain relief, which adorned the sacred way leading to the gate of Ishtar, in Babylon. It dates from the time interval from the VII to the VI century BC

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 is located on the left of the gate at the entrance to the complex. It's all about the most ancient cultures. One who is only beginning to get acquainted with the ancient culture of the Arab East, it will be interesting to see how very different artifacts of these civilizations from samples of other cultures -ellinskoy and Roman. The most precious heritage of the Byzantine era are the remains of Ishtar Gate, also in the Museum of the Ancient Orient. Mosaic bas-reliefs of the gate can not hit its realism. They depict lions, bulls and mušḫuššu - dragons with snakes' heads. They were built by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. This rich collection ishtarskih reliefs are not present in the world.

The museum is still possible to contemplate the obelisk of Adad-nirari Third, having a wedge-shaped inscriptions. The oldest exhibits in the museum date back to the XIII century BC These include the sphinx from the gate Yarkapi in Hattusas and true gem of the collection - 2 of 3 famous clay tablets of ancient peace treaty (the Treaty of Kadesh), which was signed between an Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II and Hittite king Hattusili III in the XIII century BC

Said Osman Hamdi Bey Museum donated for the construction of its annual earnings. Then, in 1884, a ban on the export of archaeological sites abroad, the new provisions included in the law on relics.