Gordion Museum

Gordion Museum was established beside Yassıhöyük, a small village with a population of 500 at the time, in the Polatlı district of Ankara in 1963. This area, which contains the ruins of Gordion, the capital of the Phrygian Kingdom, is located near the confluence of the Sakarya (Sangarios) and Porsuk rivers, along the Ankara-Eskişehir highway, 18 kilometers northwest of Polatlı. Museum has been enriched over the years with additional storage areas, laboratories, and exhibition and information halls, and in 2000 it reached the finals of the European Museum of the Year competition, becoming one of Türkiye’s most significant museums.

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Gordion is an ancient settlement that has been inhabited since the Early Bronze Age (3000 BCE). Its most prosperous period was during the 8th–7th centuries BCE, when it was destroyed by the Cimmerians at the beginning of the 7th century BCE. Under Persian rule, Gordion survived until the first half of the 6th century BCE, and was conquered by Alexander the Great in 333 BCE, where the famous Gordian Knot was cut. Together with the Hellenistic (300–100 BCE), Roman (1st century BCE–4th century CE), and Seljuk (11th–13th centuries CE) periods, it bears witness to over 4,000 years of history.

When the museum was established in 1963, its purpose was to display artifacts excavated from Gordion. Today, the museum presents a chronological exhibition, representing each period with characteristic examples.

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The artifacts displayed at the Gordion Museum span from the Early Bronze Age through the Middle and Late Bronze Age, Early Phrygian period, Hellenistic Age, and Roman period. Major exhibits include:

• Early Bronze Age and Early Phrygian Period: Artifacts from the Early Bronze Age and handmade pottery, iron tools, and textile production equipment (spindle whorls) from the Early Phrygian period (750–700 BCE), which ended with King Midas, are displayed. Phrygian inscribed and stamped pottery and architectural terracotta fragments are also notable.
• Early Iron Age: Relief orthostats and handmade ceramics represent this period.
• New Exhibition Hall: A typical Phrygian structure dating to the 7th century BCE from the destruction layer is displayed in a panoramic vitrine. The remainder of the hall features imported ancient Greek pottery and materials from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, dating between the 6th century BCE and the 4th century CE.
• Final Section: Seals, seal impressions, and coins found at Gordion are presented to visitors, including Alexander coins dated to the 4th and 2nd centuries BCE.
• Special Artifacts: Artifacts from the Lydian period, reliefs and figures of Cybele, Hattian burial sites from Polatlı Höyük (examples of burial practices of one of Anatolia’s earliest peoples), and Phrygian and Roman mosaics are among the museum’s standout pieces.

The fibulae, first used by the Phrygians in Anatolia, are metal brooches designed to fasten clothing. Operating on a principle similar to modern safety pins, these items became symbols of status among the elite due to their intricate craftsmanship. While most fibulae are made of bronze, examples in gold, silver, and brass have also been found. Like their use in clothing, fibulae were also placed as grave goods with the deceased.

The area around Gordion is covered with tumuli of various sizes, constructed between the late 8th century BCE and the mid-6th century BCE. Among these burial mounds, which served as tombs for Phrygian nobility and elites, the Great Tumulus stands out. With a diameter of 300 meters and a height of 55 meters, it is Türkiye’s second-largest tumulus. Excavated in 1957, it was opened to the public in the 1960s with a concrete support structure designed by Turkish engineers.

Discovered in 1954 through illegal excavations and named “Tumulus O” by the Gordion excavation team, the Galat Tomb suffered decades of human and natural damage. After intervention by the Ministry of Culture, the stone blocks of the tomb were numbered, moved to the garden of the Gordion Museum, and reconstructed in 1999 for public access.

The Gordion Museum is a unique institution reflecting the rich history and cultural heritage of Gordion, the capital of the Phrygian Kingdom. Through its chronological exhibits, tumuli, and special artifacts, it offers visitors a journey spanning 4,000 years. Located 90 kilometers from Ankara, this museum is an essential destination for archaeology enthusiasts.