Journey to history of humanity in Şanlıurfa

ŞANLIURFA – Anadolu Agency

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The Şanlıurfa Museum Complex, which opened in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa one-and-half-years-ago and became Turkey’s largest museum, takes history aficionados on a journey to the history of humanity dating back to the ancient times.

The complex, which is located on an area of 200,000 square meters, is next to the city’s famous tourist attraction Balıklıgöl. 

The complex is home to the Archaeology Museum, which is a striking section that visitors see; it carries hundreds of stones depicting human animal figures and inscriptions. 

Visitors can tour the Archaeology Museum starting from the Paleolithic Age Hall and learn about the hunting styles and many other activities of the ancient people. 

They also have the chance to see the “world’s first sculpture in real size,” the 180-centimeter-long Balıklıgöl Sculpture, which dates back to 9,500 B.C. 

The tour then takes them to the artifacts from Göbeklitepe and Nevali Çori mound and their imitations. 
Visitors then enter the Chalcolithic Age Hall, where they see the way trade was done in ancient times as well as artifacts unearthed from the Lidar mound. 

The museum displays 3,500-year-old toys and whistles as well as basalt-made artifacts and a glass atelier in the Iron Age Hall. 

The final section in the museum is the Islamic Era Hall, which presents a video that gives an insight to visitors of the struggles of the people of Şanlıurfa. 

Visitors then step into the archaeopark area, which is located between the Archaeology Museum and the Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum. It displays structures that reveal the architectural characteristics of prehistoric buildings.

The Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum offers visitors the chance to view mosaics featuring hunting styles and war scenes depicting the lives of Amazon queens. 


Over 300,000 visitors

So far over 300,000 people have visited Turkey’s largest museum complex, where they walk for 4.5 kilometers without having to climb up stairs. 

Müslüm Çoban, an official from the Regional Tourist Guides Chamber, said the way artifacts are ordered chronologically makes the museum more accessible and interesting for visitors. 

He said that pieces from Şanlıurfa and Göbeklitepe were also on display at the museum. “Because of ongoing works, Göbeklitepe, which is considered as the zero point of history, is closed to visitors. But it is possible to see its magnificence in the Archaeology Museum,” he said. 

He added that tourists could witness the historical milestones of humanity and see the traces of all sorts of civilizations in the complex.

“The most important feature of the museum is that it’s Turkey’s largest museum in terms of size. Another feature is that it is home to 75,000 artifacts, which is a fantastic number. To see the entire museum, visitors walk for 4.5 kilometers. It is also noteworthy that the Archaeology Museum stands three levels tall but visitors are able to tour around it without having to climb up the stairs. When we tell them that, they don’t believe us. They walk on wooden floor and do not realize that they are actually gradually climbing up three floors. Following their museum and Balıklıgöl tours, visitors can take rests during traditional sira nights and taste regional dishes. We get positive reactions from local and foreign visitors,” he added.