TRIP: Museum of Ancient Civilizations, Ankara

Going to museums to discover history is a concept invented by God knows who. Sometimes I wonder why anyone decided to collect a bunch of artifacts, and place them one next to another--regardless of the differences in times and places. Imagine if a hunter-gatherer just emerged from no where and found his tools on display next to something that had not been invented yet. Or perhaps his tool was next to the tool of his enemy, and there they were--on display--side by side.

Nonetheless, I enjoy going to museums. It gives me incredible pleasure to learn about the past. Here is a glimpse of Turkey, during its ancient civilizations:

Entering the Museum, Front

Again, the entrance, front, benches and a glimpse of what it holds inside

The outdoor courtyard in the front entrance

Close up, statue, front entrance to Museum of Ancient Civilizations

An archaeological find

This reminded me of Shiva, but it wasn't Shiva :)

What was life like?

Facial ornaments

It is extremely difficult to rebuild such gigantic vases, but it can be done. Look at the cracks.

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It is conveying a story

Does this look familiar? It reminded me of the Rosetta Stone.

Here is a detail of the lettering used.

What a burial process would be like.

To put your hand into and use as a protective cuff.

You think the Egyptians were the only ones?

A re-creation of the village layout. This reminded me of Machu Picchu

Exiting the Museum through the front

Detail, front courtyard, Museum of Ancient Civilizations

Right across the museum there was an old castle

The entryway of the castle. There was a shop to the right and one to the left. I didn't make it beyond this point.

Outside walls of the castle

This was inside the castle. 

The "Nazar" blue eye is a superstitious element of Turkish culture. When placed somewhere, it functions to ward off evil.

The flag marks the point where the castle was, and just below it (not visible in the picture), the Museum