Ancient ruins, museums to welcome night visitors

The night museum initiative, spearheaded by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, aims to enhance the tourism experience by allowing visitors to explore these sites in cooler evening temperatures during the summer.

The Alanya Castle, ancient cities of Side, Aspendos, Perge, Phaselis, Patara, Limyra and Myra will be open to nighttime visitors. In addition, the Antalya Archeology Museum, Side Archeology Museum and Alanya Archeology Museum will also be part of the night museology project.

This project will enable visitors to leave their accommodations and visit archeological sites without being affected by heat, providing a more pleasant experience during the busy summer season, Antalya Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism stated.

He detailed the extended visiting hours, noting that Aspendos and Patara archeological sites can be visited until midnight, Side Archeological Site until 11 p.m., and other sites and museums until 9 p.m. with a museum card.

The night museology initiative begins in Troy in the western province of Çanakkale and extends south to Ephesus in İzmir, Hierapolis in Denizli, and frequently visited ruins along Antalya's Mediterranean coast.

"This work is very important for Türkiye," Patara Ancient City excavation head Professor Havva İşkan Işık said.

"The resulting image is truly magnificent. Not only foreign but local tourists will will visit the ancient sites to the fullest, and the heritage in Anatolia will reach a much wider audience through photos and videos taken."