Construction on the Antioch Museum, designed by Michel Écochard, began in 1933/1352 AH when the region was still part of Syria under colonial rule. It opened in 1939/1358 AH, the year Hatay Province was integrated into Turkey.
It was reopened as the Hatay Arkeoloji Müzesi (Hatay Archology Museum) on June 23, 1948/Sha'ban 15, 1367 AH. An additional building was constructed in in the early 1970s, and in 2000, the number of exhibition halls was increased from five to eight. The foundation for a new museum was laid in May 2011, with work scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2013.
The first phase on construction on the new museum was completed in 2014, and that section opened on 28 December. The second phase opened on 02 March 2019.1 The new museum is reported to have sustained some damage in the earthquake of 6 February 2023 and its aftershocks.2
Notes:
1 “Hatay Archeology Museum.” n.d. Turkish Museums. Accessed February 15, 2023. https://turkishmuseums.com/museum/detail/2056-hatay-archaeology-museum/2056/4. Archived at: https://perma.cc/K9SF-S8G3.
2 Büyükyıldırım, Oğuz. 2023. “Earthquakes Caused Slight Damage to Hatay Archeology Museum.” Arkeonews. October 2, 2023. https://arkeonews.net/earthquakes-caused-slight-damage-to-hatay-archeology-museum/. Archived at: https://perma.cc/YW88-NX7X.
Sources:
"Antakya Archaeological Museum, Antioch." Sacred Destinations. (Accessed April 14, 2014) http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/antioch-archaeological-museum
"History of the Hatay Archeology Museum." Hatay Arkeoloji Müzesi. (Accessed April 14, 2014) http://www.hatayarkeolojimuzesi.gov.tr/HatayMuzeWeb/flash/main_EN.html
Van Herpen, Wilco. "Out with the old, in with the new: New Hatay museum under construction." Hurriyet Daily News. September 18, 2013. (Accessed April 14, 2014) http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new-new-hatay-museum-under-construction.aspx?
