4 Best Sights in The Sea of Marmara and the North Aegean, Turkey

This small museum houses a substantial collection of statues, coins, jewelry, and other artifacts excavated from the ancient city and nearby sites. A relief from the Kızıl Avlu (Red Basilica) showing gladiators fighting bulls and bears and a Medusa mosaic from the Acropolis are particularly noteworthy. The well-preserved statue of Nymphe comes from the site of Allianoi, a Roman spa town that was submerged under the waters of a dam in 2010. The ethnography section includes examples of the antique handwoven carpets for which Bergama is known.

Letters from soldiers on both sides of the Gallipoli tragedy are among the most moving of the objects at this interpretive center, which also displays uniforms, weapons, and other findings from the battlefields. An 11-part, hour-long, immersing simulation of the Gallipoli campaign—which some have criticized as being too focused on "entertainment"—completes the experience.

This beautiful church, built in 1844 on the site of a 15th-century edifice that was the first church in Ayvalık, was carefully restored and reopened as a museum by the Turkish government in 2013. Along with the gorgeous frescoes and imitation marble panels, the elaborate pulpit with icons of saints and the marble bishop's seat with gold bird reliefs are noteworthy.

The Troy Museum sits at the entrance of the archeological site and was the government’s primary initiative for 2018’s Year of Troy. The impressive building, standing at the pre-excavation height of ancient Troy, brings to life more than 5,000 years of history in seven sections, including Troas Area Archeology, The Iliad and Trojan War, and Troas and Ilion in Antiquity. Some 2,000 artifacts range from gold jewelry to sarcophagi, weapons, tear bottles, and sculptures. Because the museum provides perspective on the history and significance of the entire region, with exhibits on the history of Assos and other nearby cities, it's an excellent place to start your exploration of other areas in the Northern Aegean as well as of the ruins.