Istanbul Archaeological Museum

The Istanbul Archaeological Museum is a compound of museums housing palace collections, which were formed by Osman Hamdi Bey, the museum director, master painter and archaeologist during the late 19th century. The three major sections are the Archaeology Museum, the Museum of the Ancient Orient and the Tiled Pavilion Museum, all connected by a garden. At the Archaeological Museum, visitors can view a rich collection of classical artifacts from Turkey and abroad, including ceramics, carved marble tombs, mosaics, tiles and sarcophagi—the most famous being the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great. The Tiled Pavilion Museum has a beautiful, classic Persian facade and an interior design that is just as worth visiting as the tile collection itself.