Istanbul Archaeology Museums

The Istanbul Archaeology Museums are a group of three museums set in a garden on the slope below Topkapı Palace, beside Gülhane Park. The main building was purpose-built in the late 19th century, when the painter and archaeologist Osman Hamdi Bey directed the collection, and it holds one of the great archaeological collections of the eastern Mediterranean, assembled from across the former Ottoman lands.

The best-known piece is the Alexander Sarcophagus, a marble tomb from the royal necropolis at Sidon carved with battle and hunting scenes in which Alexander the Great appears. Nearby are other sarcophagi from the same site, including the Mourning Women Sarcophagus, the Lycian Sarcophagus and the Tabnit sarcophagus. Elsewhere look for the statue of Oceanus, the Sidamara sarcophagus and fragments of glazed brick from the Ishtar Gate of Babylon.

Large parts of the complex are closed for a long restoration and improvement project. The Museum of the Ancient Orient and the Tiled Kiosk are shut, as are several halls in the main building, including all upper-floor halls, so check the official site for what is open before you go. Even so, the sarcophagus halls on the ground floor are enough to justify a visit. The museum is open every day from 09:00 to 18:30, with the box office closing at 17:30. Tickets are priced in euros and can be bought online through the official museum store.

Allow one and a half to two hours. The museums are far quieter than the neighbouring palace and mosques, which makes them a good choice in the middle of the day. The garden, with its ancient columns and statues and a small café, is a pleasant place to rest. An audio guide is available through the museum's app. Labels are in Turkish and English, and the ground-floor sarcophagus halls are the place to start if your time is short, before moving on to whatever other galleries are open that day.

The museums suit history enthusiasts and anyone curious about the ancient world, and older children often enjoy the sarcophagi. The entrance is on Osman Hamdi Bey Yokuşu, the lane climbing from Gülhane Park towards Topkapı, a few minutes from Gülhane tram stop on the T1 line. Topkapı Palace is just above, and Hagia Sophia is within ten minutes on foot.