Artifacts mark Turkish Republic’s anniversary

KAYSERİ

Celebrating the 102nd anniversary of the Turkish Republic, the Kayseri Archaeology Museum in the central Anatolian province has opened a special exhibition featuring 102 artifacts representing the city’s 6,000-year-old commercial legacy.

Opened by the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s Directorate General of Living Heritage and Cultural Activities, the exhibition is part of the Culture Route Festival. It was opened on Sept. 6 for the first time and will continue until Sept. 14.

Displayed in the Assyrian Trade Colonies Hall of the museum, the collection spans from the Assyrian Trade Colonies period to the late Ottoman and early Republican eras. Among the highlights are cuneiform clay tablets, jewelry, rings, finely crafted portraits on small agate stones and seals reflecting commercial activities.

Kayseri Museum Director Gökhan Yıldız said the “Trade in Kayseri from Past to Present” exhibition aims to provide visitors with a concise understanding of the city’s long-standing trading culture. He emphasized that these rare objects are being presented to the public for the first time.

“We selected special objects for the exhibition,” Yıldız said. “We wanted to mark both the Republic’s 102nd anniversary and the first Culture Route Festival in Kayseri by bringing these works to light.”

Yıldız noted that the exhibition can be visited free of charge between Sept. 6 and 14. “All of the pieces displayed were unearthed in Kayseri,” he added, pointing to the Kültepe excavations, initiated in 1949 by the late Prof. Tahsin Özgüç and still ongoing under Prof. Fikri Kulakoğlu.

Some of the artifacts were handed over by locals acting responsibly, while others were transferred to the museum through court decisions. “But every single object belongs to the civilizations that once thrived in Kayseri,” he said.

Alongside the 102 newly unveiled artifacts, an additional 56 works from the museum’s collection are also on display for visitors.

Treasures from Kültepe highlighted in museum

The Kayseri Archaeology Museum, located in the heart of the city, houses artifacts dating back to the Chalcolithic, Bronze, Hittite, Phrygian, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods. The museum is particularly renowned for its rich collection from Kültepe, or ancient Kanesh, one of the most important Assyrian trade colonies in Anatolia.

Thousands of cuneiform tablets discovered at the site shed light on the earliest written records of Anatolia, providing unique insights into trade, law and daily life nearly 4,000 years ago.

In addition to the Kültepe findings, the museum also exhibits sarcophagi, coins, statues and everyday objects that reflect the diverse cultural heritage of the region. With its modern exhibition layout and educational programs, the museum serves not only as a cultural treasure but also as a bridge between the past and future generations.