Turkey is expanding its ‘Night Museums’ project to illuminate and lengthen opening hours for certain archaeological sites, ruins and outdoor museums that are close to tourism centres, to allow tourists to walk among the ancient cities in the cool of the evening. Night museums will be open from the 2024 summer season onwards.
Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Culture and Tourism Minister, announced the project among its other tourism goals leading up to 2028. He described the country as an archaeological paradise.
Turkish archaeological sites and ruins will be lit up after sunset and will remain open for visitors until midnight.
Notable illuminated archaeological sites include the ancient Olympos City in the Antalya region, the ancient ruins of Phaselis and the ruins of Syedra.
The initiative aims to encourage tourists to leave their air-conditioned hotels to see Turkey’s expansive collection of ancient ruins, without the daytime’s sweltering heat – Turkey summer daytime temperatures can reach up to 50 degrees celsius.
