Museum of Anatolian Civilizations 
This is the finest archaeological collection in all of Turkey and the primary reason Ankara is worth a stopover. Housed in a 15th-century caravansary and covered bazaar constructed under the reign of Mehmet the Conqueror, the museum contains a remarkable record of every civilization that passed through Anatolia as far back as the caveman.
The exhibit begins with artifacts believed to date to the Paleolithic Age and follows the progression of time throughout the museum. The most impressive Neolithic Age findings are an 8,000-year-old wall, clay and ceramic representations of bulls' heads, images of a fat and misshapen Mother Goddess called Kybele (later Cybele, forerunner of Artemis and probably the Virgin Mary), and wall paintings from Çatalhöyük, man's oldest known stationary civilization. The collections illustrate the first time that man tills the soil, builds homes, and takes it upon himself to decorate his surroundings. The Neolithic section gives way to artifacts recovered from Hacilar, the center of the Chalcolithic Era, and includes a large collection of stone and metal tools and decorative jewelry.
The Hatti tribes dominate the Bronze Age display with an abundance of solar discs, deer- and bull-shaped statuettes, and an evolved (and much thinner) version of the Mother Goddess. Loads of gold jewelry give a rare look into the daily and religious practices of this ancient people.
Findings from the Assyrian trade colonies discovered at Kültepe, near Kayseri, are represented in the southern hall. (The Assyrians are credited with the introduction of the written word into Anatolia, much of which records transactions, receipts, and business agreements.) Over 20,000 clay tablets, inscribed in Assyrian cuneiform, have helped reveal a priceless amount of information on this period.
The highlight of the Great Hittite Empire exhibit is the famous relief of the God of War taken from the King's Gate at Hattusas, but the bronze statues of fertility gods, bulls, and deer are not to be overlooked.
This is the finest archaeological collection in all of Turkey and the primary reason Ankara is worth a stopover. Housed in a 15th-century caravansary and covered bazaar constructed under the reign of Mehmet the Conqueror, the museum contains a remarkable record of every civilization that passed through Anatolia as far back as the caveman.
The exhibit begins with artifacts believed to date to the Paleolithic Age and follows the progression of time throughout the museum. The most impressive Neolithic Age findings are an 8,000-year-old wall, clay and ceramic representations of bulls' heads, images of a fat and misshapen Mother Goddess called Kybele (later Cybele, forerunner of Artemis and probably the Virgin Mary), and wall paintings from Çatalhöyük, man's oldest known stationary civilization. The collections illustrate the first time that man tills the soil, builds homes, and takes it upon himself to decorate his surroundings. The Neolithic section gives way to artifacts recovered from Hacilar, the center of the Chalcolithic Era, and includes a large collection of stone and metal tools and decorative jewelry.
The Hatti tribes dominate the Bronze Age display with an abundance of solar discs, deer- and bull-shaped statuettes, and an evolved (and much thinner) version of the Mother Goddess. Loads of gold jewelry give a rare look into the daily and religious practices of this ancient people.
Findings from the Assyrian trade colonies discovered at Kültepe, near Kayseri, are represented in the southern hall. (The Assyrians are credited with the introduction of the written word into Anatolia, much of which records transactions, receipts, and business agreements.) Over 20,000 clay tablets, inscribed in Assyrian cuneiform, have helped reveal a priceless amount of information on this period.
The highlight of the Great Hittite Empire exhibit is the famous relief of the God of War taken from the King's Gate at Hattusas, but the bronze statues of fertility gods, bulls, and deer are not to be overlooked.
http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/turkey/ankara/24384/museum-of-anatolian-
Mausoleum of Mustafa
THE END
Will be adding personal reflections over the next few days. Processing so much information and need a little more time to think things out.
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