Museum sights in Izmir
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A
İzmir Ethnography Museum
A bit more engaging than the Archaeology Museum next door is the İzmir Ethnography Museum. Originally built in 1831 as the St Roche Hospital, this lovely old four-storey stone building houses colourful displays (including dioramas, photos and information panels) demonstrating local arts, crafts and customs. You'll learn about everything from camel wrestling, pottery and the task of tin-plating to felt-making, embroidery and the art of making those curious little blue-and-white 'evil eye' beads. Other displays include weaponry, jewellery and beautiful illustrated manuscripts.
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B
İzmir Archaeology Museum
İzmir's Archaeology Museum is a short, unsignposted walk up the hill from Konak. It contains a fine collection of Greek and Roman artefacts. The displays are a little dry in places, but look out in particular for the beautifully decorated sarcophagi, the head of a gigantic statue of Domitian that once stood at Ephesus, and the impressive frieze depicting the funeral games from the mausoleum at Belevi (250 BC).
To get here, exit the metro and at the crossroads head left up the hill towards the red-tiled, grand building half way up the hill.
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C
Museum of History & Art
Containing three separate departments (Sculpture, Ceramics and Precious Artefacts), this museum gives a good overview of the region's artistic heritage. Look out for the 2nd-century-AD high relief of Poseidon and Demeter from the Agora, the late Neolithic anthropomorphic vase, and the cute sitting Aphrodites from the Roman period.
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Mask & Costume Museum
This museum, which will feature hundreds of pieces including Atatürk's death mask, is set to open in 2010.
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D
Ethnography Museum
More interesting than the neighbouring Archaeology Museum, the Ethnography Museum occupies the former St Roche Hospital. This lovely old four-storey stone building houses colourful displays (including dioramas, photos and information panels) demonstrating local arts, crafts and customs. You'll learn about everything from camel wrestling, pottery and tin-plating to felt-making, embroidery and the art of making those curious little blue-and-white 'evil eye' beads. Other exhibits include weaponry, woodwork and illustrated manuscripts.
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Archaeology Museum
At the southern end of Konak Meydanı, the traffic returns with a vengeance, but over the road is Turgutreis Parkı; and, on the hill above the park (not signposted but visible from the road), İzmir's archaeology and ethnography museums. Across the road from the white 'Sağlık Bakanlığı' (Ministry of Health) hospital building, a path leads to the museums through the left side of the park.
The Archaeology Museum is a little dry in places, but contains a fine collection of remnants from the local region: Greek statuary and amphoras, Byzantine oil lamps and a beautifully decorated sarcophagi from the Çeşme Peninsula.
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