THE ÇANAKKALE MUSEUM
History
Museum studies in Çanakkale was started in 1936 upon store of the old arts of the region in an ancient church in Zafer Meydanı. Then the building was arranged in to Directorate and in 1960 was opened for visits. In 1984 new museum building constructed on Atatürk Avenue as opened for service.
Museum Exhibition Hall
The 1st Hall at the entrance: Large scaled wall board indicating location of ancient location in Çanakkale and light board indicating location layers of Tria ancient town. Also Çanakkale ceramics in 17th century to 20th century are exhibited. Çanakkale being the most important city of ceramic production during Ottoman Empire Times got its name from pottery produced here and sold abroad. Big perforations in red and rarely in beige colour were used in ceramics. Jugs, bowl, plate, sugar holder are some examples being exhibited, and designing style is usually brown, green glazed monochrome samples, and also yellow, green, brown colour mixture.
There are consoles of 19th century used in one of the oldest mansion of Çanakkale is exhibited in the hall, which indicate the best sample of wooden workmanship of 19th century. Human figures in the consoles also reflect plastic art of the century. There are also tomb stels and ostotheks from Kyzikos in Mysia and ancient towns of Troas region. Stels are dating from Hellenistic and Roman Times, and main themes are funeral ceremonies, farewell feasts, figure of heroes and other similar subjects. Burying form which is one of customs about funeral of the region is the putting of bones and gifts of the dead into stone tombs.
2nd Hall: The oldest collections of Çanakkale museum and Troia arts are exhibited here. There are fossils, Stone Age axes, Beşige Tepe prehistoric ruins and Troia layer arts. The Troia excavation was started in 1870, and still is continuing although stopped for some times. The hoyuk has 9 settlement locations dating from B.C. 3000-A.D. 500. The ruins about Troia settlement layers are Troia-I, Troia II, Troia III-IV-V, Troia VI-VII, Troia VII-IX are exhibited. Daily utilisation containers Myken ceramics, Depas amphikypelons, Buckel ceramics, stone cryistal lion head, amulet, idols and bronze arts reflect ancient period arts of Troia as well as daily and religious life of the civilisation
3rd Hall: There are arts discovered in Çan and Yenice Tumulus dating from Hellenistic Times and dating from B.C. 7-2 centuries in Bozcaada necropolis. Bozcaada (Tenedos) necropolis excavations were made in 1959, 1969, 1990, 1991, 1992. And 51 tombs and contexes in single grey colour and Korinth ceramics have unique importance. They are the best examples of Attika and Korinth import ceramics as well as Aiolis regions unique grey monochrome ceramics. Abundance of import ceramics in tombs proves that this island was an important trade harbour. During ancient times. In addition, rich terracotta figuring, Attima ceramic varieties and quality are quite important. There are examples of them in the exhibition hall.
4th Hall: There are ruins of Dardanos tumulus in this hall(B.C. 6-2 centuries). Dardanos tumulus is on the hill settled on north of Dardanos town, 11 km south of Çanakkale. Upon excavation of the tomb in 1959, it was entered to the tomb. As seen from the lighting board, mausoleum consists of hall, front room, main tomb. It is a family tomb, it is understood from the ruins that it was used during Classical, Hellenistic and Roman Times. There are inscribed bronze cremasion containers, jewellery, gemmas, golden rings and diadems, candles, textile stuff, sandallets, wooden properties and kline parts. The most beautiful art of the hall is Knidos Aphrodite’s baked soil sculpture, a rural reproduction. This sculpture is known as Dardaos Aphrodite is world literature and is the copy that is identical to its original in the best way. Also some Eros figurins were found in the same timuls dating from B.C. 2nd century.
5th Hall: the arts from Assos (Behramkale) and Gülpınar (Apollon Smintheion Holy Area) are exhibited together with elegant coins and glass samples.
Behramkale village 17 kms. away from Ayvacık has become one of tourist center recently and is known with Assos being used as settlement place uninterruptedly from B.C. 8th century up to Ottoman Empire. After the first studies made in the ancient city in 1881-1883 the excavations have been continued since 1980 uninterruptedly. Athena temple of Assos dating from B.C. 6th century and city walls dated from B.C. 4th century and the ancient necropolis discovered recently have been attracting tourists. There are cremasion containers from the said excavations many various positioned terracotta figures which are some of the most interesting arts exhibited in the Çanakkale Archaeological Museum. There are Attika and Korinth ceramics, Fenike glasses in addition to them.
In Gülpınar-Smintheion exhibition, glass unguentariums discovered from surrounding of Apollon Smintheion holy area excavation in Gülpınar, Ayvacık, and gold beads and flower applics, terracotta figures and bone tools were discovered from Dardanos necropolis excavation. The only cult center of Troas is this temple and the fate of many ancient towns and human beings were determined here. Although not many thing about prophet have been found in the excavations, the small ruins discovered there indicate that the temple was visited by many people around Troas.
There are sculptural and architectural ruins, amphoras brought from surroundings of Çanakkale in the museum
