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Opened in 2015 near the historic Balikligol area, the Sanliurfa Archaeology Museum has become one of the leading cultural landmarks in Southeastern Türkiye, drawing both domestic and international visitors interested in the region’s deep prehistoric past. The museum has recorded 1,789,209 visitors in the ten years since its inauguration, offering guests the chance to explore around 5,000 artifacts displayed with detailed reconstructions and chronological storytelling.
The three-story museum spans approximately 60,000 square meters, with galleries arranged from the Paleolithic Age onward. Visitors begin with depictions of humanity’s earliest development before encountering what is widely regarded as the world’s earliest known life-sized carved human sculpture, the Balikligol Statue, dated to around 9,500 B.C.
The museum also includes a hall dedicated to Gobeklitepe, the prehistoric ceremonial complex recognized on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The site is often described as the “zero point of history” due to its monumental T-shaped pillars predating Stonehenge by millennia. The museum houses both original finds and full-scale replicas of Gobeklitepe and nearby Karahantepe, allowing visitors to visualize how ancient structures once appeared.
After the Neolithic galleries, the route continues with artifacts from the Chalcolithic, Bronze, Iron and Islamic periods, offering a continuous timeline of regional history.
Although global pandemic restrictions and the earthquake-flood events of 2023 temporarily reduced visitation, the museum has continued to draw increasing interest. Following a significant surge after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared 2019 as the “Year of Gobeklitepe”, the museum is now on track to record its highest annual visitor count in 2024.
Museum Director Celal Uludag noted that the institution is considered among the most advanced examples of contemporary museology. He emphasized that hosting key finds from Gobeklitepe has elevated international attention, explaining that visitors can “travel through time following a structured gallery path that reflects the region’s historical transformations step by step.”
Beyond its archaeological displays, the museum also serves as a venue for cultural activities. With 14 main exhibition halls, 33 immersive display spaces, and a 750-vehicle underground parking facility, it has become a preferred location for music performances, theater, ballet, and other art events in Sanliurfa.
Local tourism operator Ibrahim Celik said visitors often spend an entire day at the museum, describing it as a place where guests feel they are moving through history rather than simply observing it. A visitor from Antalya, Serhat Turkoglu, expressed admiration for experiencing historical narratives in a clearly structured chronological sequence for the first time.
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