Kayseri Archaeology Museum reopened in 2019 inside Kayseri Castle, with 14 exhibition halls arranged in chronological order from the Chalcolithic period through the late Ottoman era. The new installation is well-designed and the collection is genuinely impressive, partly because Kayseri sits in one of Anatolia's most historically rich zones.
The highlights are the finds from Kültepe-Kaniş, 22 kilometres northeast of the city. This was one of Asia Minor's oldest cities, and the Assyrian merchant colony established there in the early second millennium BC left behind thousands of clay tablets — the oldest written documents in Turkey. The museum displays a selection alongside Hittite figurines, Greek ceramics, and Roman sculpture. A large Heracles sarcophagus discovered during local construction work occupies a room of its own.
Admission is modest. The museum is inside the castle, so allow time to walk the perimeter walls before or after your visit.