The Archaeological
Museum in Antalya has been
closed to visitors as of 16 July
It must have been a gigantic task to pack and remove the extensive collection of statues, reliefs, sarcophagi, coins, and other artifacts to their temporary storage units on the premises.
If all goes according to plan, the Museum is expected to reopen by the end of 2026 with larger exhibition space and state-of-the-art conservation facilities. An ambitious deadline!
The museum’s conservation and restoration work will not be interrupted and will continue elsewhere on the property.
This kind of extensive
restoration and modernization project is not limited to
The country is
prone to earthquakes, and sooner or later, the structures show signs of serious
degradation. The most recent example is the strong earthquake of February 2023
that devastated so many buildings in southeastern
Aging
infrastructure is another issue impacting several major institutions such as
the Archaeological Museums of Istanbul,
the
I am sharing hereafter a list of the 37 museums involved, including their dates of closure and reasons for repair as published in Türkiye Today.
List of closed museums in Türkiye (As of July 2025)
1.
(Maintenance and Repair – Feb. 6, 2023)
2.
(Maintenance and Repair – Feb. 6, 2023)
3.
(Concert Hall – Restoration – Feb. 6, 2023)
4.
(Maintenance and Repair – Feb. 6, 2023)
5.
(Maintenance and Repair – Feb. 6, 2023)
6.
(Structural Reinforcement – March 4, 2023)
7.
(Restoration – April 9, 2023)
8. Istanbul Tiled
(Exhibition and Layout Renewal – April 19, 2023)
9.
(Reinforcement and Restoration – June 22, 2023)
10.
(Reinforcement – July 5, 2023)
11.
(Reinforcement – Aug. 31, 2023)
12.
(Maintenance and Repair – Sept. 20, 2023)
13.
(Maintenance and Repair – Dec. 11, 2023)
14.
(Reinforcement – Dec. 11, 2023)
15.
(Reinforcement – Dec. 11, 2023)
16.
(Reinforcement – Jan.11, 2024)
17.
(Reinforcement – Jan. 11, 2024)
18.
(New Building Construction – Feb. 2, 2024)
19.
(Maintenance and Repair – May 13, 2024)
20.
(Restoration & Exhibition Arrangement – Nov. 11, 2024)
21.
(Exhibition, Layout & Landscaping — Feb 17, 2025)
22. Istanbul Archaeological Museums
(Classical Building Ground Floor, Annex, and North
Wing—Reinforcement/Restoration – April 19, 2023)
23.
(General Reinforcement – Dec. 27, 2012)
24.
(Repair & Landscaping – Aug. 28, 2014)
25.
(Reinforcement – Aug. 18, 2016)
26.
(General Repair – Dec. 24, 2018)
27.
(Restoration – Dec. 16, 2019)
28.
(Reinforcement – June 22, 2020)
29.
(Exhibition and Layout Renewal – May 12, 2022)
30.
(Landscaping – May 26, 2022)
31.
(Restoration – Oct. 20, 2022)
32.
(Maintenance/Repair – Feb. 6, 2023)
33.
(Exhibition Preparation – March 4, 2025)
34.
(Restoration – April 5, 2025)
35.
(New Building Construction & Collection Relocation – July
16, 2025)
36.
(Maintenance and Repair – July 7, 2025)
37.
(Landscaping – July 21, 2025)
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has not provided specific reopening dates for most of these institutions. Instead, they have left it rather vague, using words such as “until the completion of works”.