The Archaeological Museum in Kayseri, Turkey

Although Kayseri isn’t exactly a city full of museums, it’s a important point on the historical map of Turkey.

The Kayseri Archaeological Museum features findings from nearby Kültepe (ancient Kanesh, chief city of the Hatti people and the first Hittite capital). The Hittites were an Ancient Anatolian people who established an empire centred on Hattusa in north-central Anatolia around 1600 BC. This empire reached its height during the mid-14th century BC under Suppiluliuma I, when it encompassed an area that included most of Asia Minor as well as parts of the northern Levant and Upper Mesopotamia.

Kültepe (which in Turkish means Ash Hill) is an archaeological site located in the Kayseri Province in Turkey. The nearest modern city to Kültepe is Kayseri, about 20 km southwest.

The museum collection which has only archaeological material is exhibited and displayed in a chronological order, in two large halls and a garden.

The first hall starts with the display with samples of the plain and coloured ceramics of the Old Bronze Age and alabaster idols.

Ritual cups and figurines from Kültepe 2500 – 1700 B.C.

Statue of king from Kululu late-hittite CA 700 B.C

Terracota, bone and stone tools from Kültepe (Assyria trade colonies period) 2000 – 1750 B.C.

The following items are from Kültepe excavations which belong to the Assyrian mercantilist Colonies Age which are given typologically.

In the narrow south section of the same hall there are the stone statues of the Late Hittite age and hieroglyph inscribed steles.

In the second hall; after the plain and coloured ceramics from Phrygian Age in the passage corridor, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine pieces collected from the vicinity of Kayseri, and tomb offerings from the Beştepeler and Garipler tumuli.

Gifts grave the tumulus of Beştepeler I. Roman period 30 B.C.- 100 A.C.

Bronze and bone objects from Roman period 30 B.C.- 395 A.C.

Religious objects East Roman period 395 – 1453 A.C.

Glass vases. Roman period 30 B.C.- 395 A.C.

Marble Sarcophagus from Mazaka (Ancient Kayseri) – Roman period

Terracota sarcophagus from Kayseri region – Roman period

In the museum garden are lion statues brought from Golludag, sarcophagi, capitals, statues, bas-reliefs and building stones from Hellenistic and Roman and Byzantine age.