6.19.2008

Antalya Museum


The museum at first operated in the Alaeddin Mosque in 1922, then in Yivli Mosque beginning from 1937, and then moved to its present building in 1972. It was closed to visitors for a wide range of modifications and restorations in 1982. It was reorganized according to a modern approach for a museum and opened to the public in April 1985, after the restorations and display arrangements made by the General Directorate of Ancient Objects and Museums. The museum contains 13 display halls, a children's section and open galleries. The objects only belonging to the region are generally presented chronologically and according to their subjects.
In addition to the three display windows, in which the fossils of geological periods are presented, the chipped gravel, hand axes, diggers, bone tools found in the Karain Cave and stratigraphies from pre-Paleolithic period to Roman period are presented. Karain is a cave located 27 km northwest of Antalya and at the foot of Sam Mountain . Besides the remains which have been found in the 10,5 m thick soil fillings dating from the Paleolithic Period, there are also the tooth and skeleton remains of Neanderthal human beings that had lived in the Mesolithic Period. Semayuk is the only center representing the Early Bronze Age, most of the artefacts were found in graves, including pots of various sizes, seals, brush handles, idols and especially gifts for the dead. Interesting is a grave made of a big earthenware jar. The most interesting side of this kind of burial is the placing of the corpse in the earthenware jar in the position of a baby in the womb of a mother. The gods in the salon are the main God Zeus surrounded by Aphrodite, Tykne, Athena, Nemesis, Itygieia, Hermes and Dioskurs and at the opposite side there are Serapis, Isis and his son Harpo, all of Egyptian origin. The statues are the Roman copies, dating 2nd century A.D., of their Greek originals and all of them were found during Perge excavations. The selected artefacts of different cultural phases dating from 4 B.C. to 6 A.D. are presented in the display window. The vase presented to the Princess of Egypt, Benerike, the Athena engraved on silver plate, bronze Statues of Apollo and Hercules, the head of Attis, the marble Statue of Priapus representing fertility, the earthenware and marble statues are the hall's exhibits of outstanding value. In the underwater display window, there are objects that were found in ancient sunken ships.
The most beautiful examples of portraits, representing the main character of Roman sculpture, are presented in this hall. All of the statues were found in the Perge excavations. There are many statues of 2-3rd centuries, because the most magnificent period of the region's historical development was during this time. There are portrait statues of the Emperor Trajan and Hadrian, of Septimius Severus, Sabina, Faustina, Julia Domina, Julia Soemias, Plankia Magna and there are also statues of Three Beauties and a belly dancer statue made of black and white marble. The most important of the mosaics in the museum is the Mosaic of Philosophers, which was found in the Seleukeia excavation and on the border of which the names of famous thinkers of antiquity, such as Solon. Tukyclides, Lykurgos, Heredot, Demosthenes, Itesiodos and the names of orators, historians and mathematicians are inscribed. On another mosaic coming from Seleukia, Orpheus charming the wild animals with his flute is depicted.
There are also corners reserved for examples of local sculpture, chipping equipment and bronze sculpture techniques in this section. The icons presented in this hall are collected from the region of Antalya , dating generally from 18th and 19th centuries. The 2500 year long tradition of minting coins, dating from 6th century B.C., its technique and economy are presented in an educational order in the hall. In the presentation, state coins of the Pamphilia, Pisidio, Likia regions, and generally regional coins of the chronological order of Classic, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk ages and the Ottoman period are the main focus.

No comments: