The Adana Museum was established in 1924, shortly after the proclamation of the Republic, and is recognized as one of the ten oldest museums in Türkiye. .
Hittite and Late Bronze Age heritage
Look for the clay seal associated with Puduhepa, the influential Hittite queen and wife of Hattusili III, along with the Babylonian stele and other ancient inscriptions. These help explain diplomacy, religion, and administration in the ancient Near East.
T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı
+1
The most worthwhile displays include a Hittite storm-god statue, ancient inscriptions, Roman sarcophagi, coins, bronze objects, and a large mosaic collection.
The six highlights I would look for first
Tarhunda — Hittite Storm God
Top priority
8th century BC · roughly 2,800 years old
A stone statue about 2 metres tall, representing the Hittite storm god. The associated bulls and chariot were made from basalt. Look for this if you enjoy the ancient Anatolian civilizations.
Turkish Museums
+1
Achilles Sarcophagus
Roman period · approximately AD 170–190
Marble reliefs depicting scenes from the Trojan War, including Achilles and other figures from Greek mythology. Study the detailed carving around the sides of the coffin.
Exceptional Adana
+1
Anthropoid Sarcophagus
An unusual Roman-period marble coffin featuring a human-shaped design. Its artistic tradition combines Egyptian and Greek influences, reflecting ancient beliefs about death and the afterlife.
Turkish Museums
+1
Karataş Bronze Male Statue
A bronze statue discovered by a fisherman off the Mediterranean coast at Karataş in 1984. Its precise identity is uncertain; it may represent a poet, politician, or another prominent individual.
Turkish Museums
Anatolian Hieroglyphic Inscription Stele
A stone monument carrying an inscription in the hieroglyphic writing system used by ancient Anatolian civilizations, particularly the Luwians and the Late Hittite kingdoms. It is valuable evidence for ancient languages and political history.
Kültür Varlıkları ve Müzeler
+1
Roman and Byzantine mosaics
The museum's mosaic section displays approximately 850 square metres of mosaics recovered from buildings around Adana. Look for mythological scenes associated with Orpheus, Thetis, and other figures, as well as depictions of marine creatures.
T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı
+1
Other important displays by historical period
Hittite and Late Bronze Age heritage
Look for the clay seal associated with Puduhepa, the influential Hittite queen and wife of Hattusili III, along with the Babylonian stele and other ancient inscriptions. These help explain diplomacy, religion, and administration in the ancient Near East.
T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı
+1
Everyday life in antiquity
Glass vessels, pottery, bronze and terracotta lamps, small figurines, seals, gold and bronze jewellery, and personal objects illustrate how people lived, traded, and worshipped.
Coins and metalworking
Coins from regional excavations illustrate changing rulers, economic networks, and the development of currency. The museum also presents metal objects and information about ancient Anatolian mining and the history of medicine.
T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı
+1
Roman funerary art and architecture
Beyond the two major sarcophagi, see other Roman coffins, grave steles, columns, capitals, busts, and architectural fragments. These are useful for understanding ancient burial customs and the monumental buildings of the region.
T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı
+1
How the museum is organized
The official museum brochure shows prehistoric, Iron Age, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic-period displays, along with a separate excavation-and-coin hall and two mosaic halls.
Turkish Museums
+1
The wider Adana Museum Complex also includes several other museums, so don't assume every exhibition is inside the archaeology galleries:
Archaeology Museum: ancient artifacts and sculptures.
Mosaic Museum: Roman and Byzantine floor mosaics.
City Museum: Adana's urban history and traditional trades.
Agriculture Museum: cotton, citrus, farming tools, and agricultural development.
Industry and Milli Mensucat museums: the history of textile production and the restored factory.
Popular Culture Museum: cinema, literature, music, and sports
https://www.turkishmuseums....
The Adana Museum was established in 1924, shortly after the proclamation of the Republic, and is recognized as one of the ten oldest museums in Türkiye. .
Hittite and Late Bronze Age heritage
Look for the clay seal associated with Puduhepa, the influential Hittite queen and wife of Hattusili III, along with the Babylonian stele and other ancient inscriptions. These help explain diplomacy, religion, and administration in the ancient Near East.
T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı
+1
The most worthwhile displays include a Hittite storm-god statue, ancient inscriptions, Roman sarcophagi, coins, bronze objects, and a large mosaic collection.
Top priority
8th century BC · roughly 2,800 years old
A stone statue about 2 metres tall, representing the Hittite storm god. The associated bulls and chariot were made from basalt. Look for this if you enjoy the ancient Anatolian civilizations.
Turkish Museums
+1
Roman period · approximately AD 170–190
Marble reliefs depicting scenes from the Trojan War, including Achilles and other figures from Greek mythology. Study the detailed carving around the sides of the coffin.
Exceptional Adana
+1
An unusual Roman-period marble coffin featuring a human-shaped design. Its artistic tradition combines Egyptian and Greek influences, reflecting ancient beliefs about death and the afterlife.
Turkish Museums
+1
A bronze statue discovered by a fisherman off the Mediterranean coast at Karataş in 1984. Its precise identity is uncertain; it may represent a poet, politician, or another prominent individual.
Turkish Museums
A stone monument carrying an inscription in the hieroglyphic writing system used by ancient Anatolian civilizations, particularly the Luwians and the Late Hittite kingdoms. It is valuable evidence for ancient languages and political history.
Kültür Varlıkları ve Müzeler
+1
The museum's mosaic section displays approximately 850 square metres of mosaics recovered from buildings around Adana. Look for mythological scenes associated with Orpheus, Thetis, and other figures, as well as depictions of marine creatures.
T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı
+1
Hittite and Late Bronze Age heritage
Look for the clay seal associated with Puduhepa, the influential Hittite queen and wife of Hattusili III, along with the Babylonian stele and other ancient inscriptions. These help explain diplomacy, religion, and administration in the ancient Near East.
T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı
+1
Everyday life in antiquity
Glass vessels, pottery, bronze and terracotta lamps, small figurines, seals, gold and bronze jewellery, and personal objects illustrate how people lived, traded, and worshipped.
Coins and metalworking
Coins from regional excavations illustrate changing rulers, economic networks, and the development of currency. The museum also presents metal objects and information about ancient Anatolian mining and the history of medicine.
T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı
+1
Roman funerary art and architecture
Beyond the two major sarcophagi, see other Roman coffins, grave steles, columns, capitals, busts, and architectural fragments. These are useful for understanding ancient burial customs and the monumental buildings of the region.
T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı
+1
The official museum brochure shows prehistoric, Iron Age, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic-period displays, along with a separate excavation-and-coin hall and two mosaic halls.
Turkish Museums
+1
The wider Adana Museum Complex also includes several other museums, so don't assume every exhibition is inside the archaeology galleries: