Istanbul Archaeology Museums gathers collections from across the ancient Mediterranean and Near East in a complex that includes the Archaeology Museum, the Museum of the Ancient Orient, and the Tiled Kiosk. Its history is intertwined with the beginnings of modern archaeology in the Ottoman Empire.
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The museum complex began with a practical need: objects arriving from archaeological sites required a place for study and preservation. The Imperial Museum was established in 1869, and the institution grew under Osman Hamdi Bey, who became its director in 1881. The main Archaeology Museum building opened in 1891.
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- The Imperial Museum was established in 1869.
- Osman Hamdi Bey became director in 1881.
- The main archaeology museum building opened in 1891.
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