History and General Information / Local Legends and Folklore
Martyr Cuma Dağ Natural History Museum, whose foundations were laid within the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA), which was established by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk himself in 1935, and opened to the public on February 7, 1968, is Türkiye's first and richest natural history museum. 4.5 billion years of evolution of the earth's crust is revealed in three-storey giant exhibition areas. Among the museum's greatest treasures; The skeleton of the "Maraş Elephant" (Elephas meridionalis), the most magnificent ancient elephant that ever lived in Turkey, was found in the swamp of Kahramanmaraş Gavur Lake, millions of years old Allosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur replicas, moonstone brought from the Moon, meteorite fragments and glowing fluorescent minerals. Geographical Structure, Altitude and Natural Features
The museum is located within the MTA campus grove on the Eskişehir Road axis, at an altitude of 910 meters. In addition to the indoor exhibition halls, the geological open-air rock garden on the campus contains rich geological samples. Visiting Hours, Days and Entrance Fees
•Entrance Fee:Visiting the museum is completely free (is_free: true).•Visiting Hours and Days:Closed on Mondays; It is open to visitors from Tuesday to Sunday between 09:00 - 17:00.•Rules, Safety and Stroller/Disabled Access: Fossil and mineral glass display cases should not be damaged. The museum building is equipped with modern elevators and ramps and is fully wheelchair and stroller accessible.•Facilities and Facilities:Dinosaur hall, fossil hall, mineralogy gallery, domed planetarium, visually impaired section, museum store, cafeteria and WC are available. Transportation, Public Transit Routes and Exact Location•Address / Open Location:Universiteler Mahallesi, Dumlupınar Boulevard (Eskişehir Yolu) No:139, MTA General Directorate Campus, Çankaya / Ankara.•Road Condition and Vehicle Availability: It is on Dumlupınar Boulevard; It is 7 km away from the city center (Kızılay) and is extremely easy to reach.•Actual Public Transportation Information: When you get off at the "MTA Station" of the M2 Kızılay-Çayyolu Metro, there is a direct exit to the campus entrance; All EGO buses and Çayyolu minibuses passing through Eskişehir Road pass in front of it.•Parking Availability:There is ample free parking space for visitors within the MTA campus. Contextual Experience Tips, Photography and Local Gastronomy•Best Photo Spots and Frames:Wide-angle photos taken from under the giant Maraş Elephant skeleton, dinosaur skulls and colorful fluorescent minerals that glow under ultraviolet light in the darkroom.•Science and Children's Education:It is Türkiye's most educational museum for families with children and geology enthusiasts; It is recommended to watch space displays in the domed planetarium.