Usak – Van – Zonguldak and Amasra Museums

Usak – Van – Zonguldak and Amasra Museums,

USAK MUSEUM
Steps to establish a museum in Usak only began recently. Construction of a museum building began in 1967 and was completed in 1970. Works from the region of Usak and works brought from Ankara and Istanbul were exhibited in the new museum.
Usak Museum consists of two sections. The first contains various works dating from the prehistoric ages to the end of the Byzantine period, clay pottery, vases, lamps, figures, tear bottles, Phrygian period works, Roman period grave steles and statues, and findings from the Selcuk excavations. The second section contains Ottoman period works, including carpets and kilims, copper kitchen utensils, porcelain, wooden and metal works, ornaments, embroidery, and clothing. The garden of the museum contains statue pedestals, column capitals, and stone bas-reliefs.

VAN MUSEUM
Gathering of archaeological and ethnographic works from the region of Van began in 1932 when they were stored in a room at the General Directorate of Education. In 1947 these works were moved to a barracks at a school.
The museum was enriched with findings from the excavations at Toprakkale, Cavustepe, Patnos, and Adilcevaz in the Van region after 1959, and no existing building could be found that was suitable for exhibiting the works. So in 1968 construction of a new museum building was begun, and completed in 1971. The works were exhibited and the new museum opened to the public in 1972.
Van Museum consists of two exhibition rooms, one downstairs and one upstairs. Archaeological works are exhibited in the ground floor room and include Urartu works uncovered by excavations at Patnos, Toprakkale, Cavustepe, and Giyimli. On the top floor are various ethnographic works from the region of Van, and findings from excavations at the old city of Van and Ulucami. The garden of the museum contains inscriptions from the Urartu period.

ZONGULDAK – AMASRA MUSEUM
In 1945 a museum depot was established in Amasra in the Zonguldak sub-province of Bartin. In 1959 these works were temporarily exhibited. The museum contains archaeological and ethnographic works of the region.