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A major new museum project is underway in the central Turkish province of Kayseri, where city officials are preparing to open a dedicated fossil museum that will feature specimens dating back 7.5 million years. The Paleontology and Fossil Museum, currently under construction in the Melikgazi district, aims to bring together scientific heritage and cultural engagement in one expansive venue.
Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Memduh Buyukkilic recently visited the site to review the progress of the project. During his inspection, he received updates from the construction team and emphasized the municipality’s continued commitment to developing socially and culturally enriching spaces across the city.
The fossils that will be displayed at the museum were uncovered in the Yamula region of Kayseri, an area known for yielding significant paleontological discoveries. According to Mayor Buyukkilic, the museum will not only exhibit these prehistoric remains, but will also present insights into the geomorphological characteristics of Kayseri, offering visitors a broader understanding of the area’s natural history.
He noted, “We are bringing to life a museum that reflects Kayseri’s geomorphological structure and its relationship with nature.”
The museum is being built on a 6,000-square-meter site and is expected to open to the public in the fall of 2026. Mayor Buyukkilic explained that the project will preserve and expand upon the city’s existing archaeological museum, creating a more comprehensive institution with newly added features.
Once completed, the facility will house four permanent exhibition halls, a fossil model gallery, and separate areas for temporary exhibits. It will also include a fossil laboratory, storage units, educational play spaces for children, a gift shop, administrative offices, and a public reading room known as a millet kıraathanesi—a community space commonly found in Türkiye for reading and socializing.
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