Eskişehir Eti Archaeology Museum

Eskişehir Eti Archaeology Museum is a cultural institution established to preserve, display and scientifically document the cultural heritage of the region, spanning a broad historical spectrum from the Neolithic period to the end of the Ottoman era. It holds a unique place in the history of Turkish museology as the first museum in Türkiye to be constructed with private sector funding and subsequently donated to the state.

Eskişehir’s museum activities trace their origins to the early years of the Republic. In 1945, a storage museum was established in Alaeddin Mosque to safeguard artifacts collected from local excavation sites. As the collection grew and the need for classification became apparent, the madrasa section of the Kurşunlu Külliyesi in the Odunpazarı neighborhood was restored in 1966 and the Museum Directorate was formally established. Although the museum moved in 1974 to a newly constructed building in Akarbaşı Mahallesi, the increasing number of artifacts and evolving modern museum standards eventually necessitated a more comprehensive facility.

The current museum complex was realized through a sponsorship protocol signed between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Eti Companies Group. The building, constructed with financial support from Firuz Kanatlı, founder and Honorary President of the Eti Group, is the first museum in Türkiye to be built by the private sector and then transferred to the state. The modern structure, whose foundation was laid in 2007, opened to the public in 2011 under the name “Eti Archaeology Museum” after completion of construction.

^{Eskişehir Eti Archaeology Museum (}Eskişehir Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism⁾

The museum consists of three main blocks designed in accordance with contemporary museological principles. Exhibition areas covering approximately 1,300 square meters include both permanent galleries and temporary exhibition spaces. The complex also houses administrative offices, laboratories for artifact conservation and restoration, a photo archive and library for scholarly research, a conference hall, educational workshops for children, a cafeteria and souvenir sales sections. This spatial arrangement has transformed the museum from a mere exhibition space into a multifunctional cultural complex.

The museum’s exhibition narrative begins with a natural history section covering periods predating human history. This section displays animal and plant fossils dating back millions of years, attesting to the geological past of Eskişehir and its surroundings. Fossils of elephants, mastodons and various plant remains from the region constitute significant evidence of the prehistoric fauna and flora of Anatolia.

This section, symbolizing the transition to settled life and the emergence of agricultural societies, features finds from local tells, particularly from centers such as Çakmakbaşı and Keçiçayırı. Exhibited items include ceramic vessels, bone tools, stone axes, obsidian blades and grinding stones from the Neolithic (Polished Stone) and Chalcolithic (Copper-Stone) periods. These artifacts provide insights into the daily life practices, dietary habits and tool technologies of the region’s earliest settlers.

One of the museum’s richest collections consists of artifacts dating to the Early Bronze Age, around 3000 BCE. At the heart of this section are finds from the Demircihüyük excavations, which hold key importance for Eskişehir archaeology. Exhibited objects include characteristic beak-spouted jars, idols used in rituals (stylized goddess figurines), metal weapons and grave goods. The finds from the “Sarıket” cemetery are particularly significant for illustrating the burial customs and advanced level of metallurgy of the period.

The museum’s collection also includes artifacts from the Hittite Empire period (2nd millennium BCE), the first centralized political entity in Anatolia. This section, documenting Eskişehir’s strategic position within Hittite geography, features characteristic ceramic forms, seal impressions and various administrative artifacts from the era. These imperial-period objects reveal the region’s cultural and political interactions with Central Anatolia.

Eskişehir (ancient Dorylaeum) is one of the most prominent centers of Phrygian civilization, leaving deep cultural imprints. The Phrygian-period artifacts on display reflect the artistic and religious depth of this civilization. Altar stones and figurines associated with the cult of “Kybele” (Mother Goddess), geometrically decorated painted ceramics unique to the Phrygians, and fibulae—regarded as the pinnacle of Phrygian metalwork—are the main elements of this section. Finds from important Phrygian centers such as Pessinus (Ballıhisar) and Midas City (Yazılıkaya) further enrich the collection.

A significant portion of the museum’s inventory consists of artifacts from the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods. Presented in chronological order, this section displays Roman marble portraits and statues, ceramic vessels used in daily life, glass perfume bottles, lamps and metal objects. Byzantine crosses, religious ritual items and architectural sculptures document the region’s role in Christian history. Particularly, data from the Şarhöyük (Dorylaeum) excavations have made it possible to understand the urban fabric of the city during these periods.

Stone artifacts displayed within the museum’s interior and in its outdoor lapidarium shed light on the region’s epigraphic and architectural history. This group includes marble sarcophagi, ossuaries, votive and funerary stelae (grave markers), milestone stones and column capitals dating to the Roman and Byzantine periods. The reliefs and inscriptions on the funerary stelae provide primary source material on the socio-economic status, occupations and belief systems of ancient inhabitants.

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The museum’s specially secured sections present its numismatic collection and ancient jewelry to visitors. The collection encompasses coins spanning from the Archaic period through the Hellenistic kingdoms, the Roman Empire, Byzantium and the Ottoman era. These coins reflect the economic structures and political propaganda of their times. The jewelry section displays gold and silver earrings, necklaces, rings, diadems and ornamental items made of precious stones, reflecting the aesthetics of the ancient world.

Eskişehir Eti Archaeology Museum functions not merely as an exhibition space but as a living cultural center. The complex’s conference hall, library and multipurpose rooms host scholarly meetings and cultural events. Workshops organized in specially designed educational and practical areas for children aim to instill archaeological awareness in younger generations and foster a culture of heritage preservation.