Mersin Silifke Museum

Silifke Museum was established in 1958 as a warehouse in a part of the Republic Primary School. The museum, which developed over time, was moved to an independent building and opened on 2 August 1973.

HALL OF STONE WORKS: Artifacts from the Archaic, Roman, and Byzantine Periods are exhibited. There are finds such as caryatids, seated statues, amphorae, and relics that best reflect their era. The Armored Emperor Statue of the 2nd century AD is remarkable. The 1.93 m high statue has no head. The armor is crafted with great care. The lower edge of the armor is sliced and there are lion and ram herbal reliefs on the slices. Head of Medusa on the chest, two antithetic griffins below it; on the core, an eagle with open wings is depicted. At the waist is a belt with a bow formed in the front. Paludamentum is gathered over the left shoulder and knotted with a brooch.

COINS AND JEWELRY HALL: In addition to gold and silver ornaments, silver Persian jewelry, silver Alexander coins, silver coins belonging to the kings of Macedonia, Thrace, Pergamum, and Egypt, bronze Roman coins, Ottoman copper and gold coins, and golden Byzantine coins are exhibited. The Hellenistic Period (330-30 BC) Meydancıkkale treasure, the Roman Period (193-268 AD) Quince breach treasure, and the Byzantine Period Susanoğlu treasure belonging to Justinian I attract attention.

HALL OF ARCHEOLOGICAL WORKS: Bronze Age, Iron Age, Hellenistic and Roman, and Byzantine Age finds are exhibited. There are vessels such as the Hittite hieroglyphic stamp seals recovered from the Kilisetepe Mound excavation, black and red-figured vessels from the 5th century BC recovered from the Kelenderis excavation, the Hellenistic and Roman periods, relics from the Byzantine Period, weights, oil lamps, candlesticks, and bread molds.

HALL OF ETHNOGRAPHIC WORKS: Some of them are folkloric works produced and used by the local people today. Women's clothes (such as bridal dress, vest, pocket, three-skirt) and complementary items (wool stockings, silver belts, and belt buckles, jewelry such as pediments, bracelets, rings, money bags, girths, etc.), rugs and saddlebags, and weapons and elements such as rifles and pistols, gunpowder, cartridge holder and sword are on display.

GARDEN EXHIBITION: Column capitals, frieze fragments, architectural elements, sitting statues, sarcophagi, stelae, and pithos belonging to the Antiquity and Late Antiquity, are exhibited. There are also Ottoman period artifacts such as tombstones and fountain inscriptions.