The museum complex consists of 3 different museums:

1. Archaeological Museum (the main building)

2. Museum of Islamic Art (Tiled Kiosk): housing fine examples of Islamic ceramics starting from 14th century

3. Museum of the Ancient Orient Archaeological; is the first construction that is exactly built to be an exhibition center, thanks to Osman Hamdi Bey, director of the Imperial Museum (Muze-i Humayun in old Turkish), who was in charge for collecting and organizing archaeological objects all around the Ottoman Empire.

Here are some the major highlights of the museum;

1. Alexander Sarcophagus

2. The Troy exhibition

3. The Kadesh Peace ex tablet, one of the oldest known peace treaty in the world signed between Hitties and Egyptians.

Istanbul Archaeological Museum is one of the biggest archaeological exhibitions of the world that has more than 1 million pieces objects.

 Note: Upon its 100th anniversary in 1991, the museum received the European Council Museum Award.