Fodor's Expert Review The Archaeological and Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museums

Urfa's fantastic archaeological museum reopened in 2015 in an imposingly large building amid leafy open space. It still has an impressive collection covering the area's long history, interspersed with lifelike recreations of the living conditions in prehistoric times. Especially interesting are sculptures from Göbekli Tepe and the full-size re-creation of one of its temples, but the star of the show is a white, alien-looking statue with obsidian eyes, found in the Gölbaşı lake in 1993. Nearly 13,500 years old, it is the world's oldest full-size man-made human figure. There are also Hittite sculptures from the area, a collection of exquisitely carved antique wooden doors, and a classical sculpture garden.

Also included in the ticket price is entry to the neighboring Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum, which houses an incredible array of mosaics that would have once formed part of a Roman-era palace. These include mosaics depicting the life of Achilles, including his mother holding him by the heel and dipping him into the waters of the River Styx. and a magnificent scene of Amazon queens hunting wild beasts.