Adana Archaeology Museum (Adana Arkeoloji Müzesi)

Housed in a sensitively converted former textile factory in the Döşeme district of Adana, the Adana Archaeology Museum (Adana Arkeoloji Müzesi) opened in 2017 as one of the largest and most modern archaeological museums in Turkey. Its vast halls — covering a total exhibition area of roughly 35,000 square metres — display finds from ancient Cilicia spanning the Neolithic period through the Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, Hittite, Iron Age, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine eras. The collection includes monumental sarcophagi, inscription blocks, bronze figurines, cylinder seals and jewellery excavated from sites across Adana province. The undisputed centrepiece is the Noah's Ark mosaic gallery, which houses the celebrated 5th-century Byzantine floor mosaic relocated from the ancient city of Misis (Mopsuestia) to the east of Adana — an early Christian image of Noah's Ark with the animals boarding in pairs, considered one of the most important Byzantine mosaics in the world. The Hittite and Iron Age galleries provide context for the kingdom of Que, whose heartland lay in the Çukurova plain, while later Roman galleries trace the city under its name Antioch on the Sarus. The industrial shell of the former factory — brick vaulting, high ceilings, clerestory skylights — lends the galleries an airy quality unusual in Turkish regional museums. A visit of 1.5 to 2 hours covers the main halls comfortably. The museum is busiest on weekends and during school holidays; weekday mornings are the quietest. A café operates in the courtyard and a gift shop is located near the exit.