STORY: Archaeological museum in central Türkiye offers visitors captivating journey through timeSHOOTING TIME: Recent footageDATELINE: March 5, 2025LENGTH: 00:01:48LOCATION: ISTANBUL, TürkiyeCATEGORY: CULTURESHOTLIST:1. various of the museum2. SOUNDBITE (Turkish): IZZET ESEN, Director of the museumSTORYLINE:Located in the Kirsehir province in Türkiye's Central Anatolia region, the Kaman-Kalehoyuk Archaeological Museum has impressed many visitors with a captivating journey through time. The museum offers tourists a unique opportunity to witness ongoing excavation work and explore the evolvement of ancient civilizations. Launched in 2010 as a grant by the Japanese government within the framework of a cultural heritage protection project, the museum displays remarkable artifacts unearthed in the area since 1986 by a joint team of Japanese and Turkish archaeologists. The collection spans from the early Bronze Age till today, with artifacts from the Hittites, Phrygians, Romans, Byzantines, and the Ottoman Empire.The museum also features Chinese porcelain from the Ottoman Empire, dating from the 1500s to the 1800s. The museum is committed to engaging guests in hands-on experiences that bring history to life. SOUNDBITE (Turkish): IZZET ESEN, Director of the museum"It is especially desired that children interact with these artifacts, so that by touching, feeling, and perceiving the original materials produced by people who lived thousands of years ago, they can perhaps establish a connection with those days."In 2011, the museum earned the "Best Green Museum" title and was nominated for "Museum of the Year in Europe" in 2012. The complex also boasts the largest botanical garden outside Japan, designed in a Japanese style. The Central Anatolia region's rich history has been shaped by the Hittites, Phrygians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, Germiyanids, and Ottomans. Archaeological findings even reveal traces of human settlement from the dawn of civilization. Türkiye has stepped up archaeological excavations in recent years. According to Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the annual number of archaeological projects rose from 670 in 2021 to 720 in 2023. This number stood at 765 in 2024 and is expected to reach 800 by 2026. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Istanbul, Türkiye.(XHTV)