Topkapı Palace
The sultans’ palace on Sarayburnu: courtyards, the Imperial Council, the treasury and the terraces over the water. Dated entry, sold online on its own site.
Pessinus Archaeological Site
An ancient city near Sivrihisar in Eskişehir province, best known for its grand Roman temple, theatre and colonnaded street.
About the museum
Pessinus stands in the village of Ballıhisar, about 13 kilometres south-west of Sivrihisar in Eskişehir province. It is remembered as an old cult centre of the mother goddess Cybele, and it flourished most under the Roman emperor Augustus.
The showpiece is a grand temple begun after Augustus died and finished under Tiberius. Around it, the excavations have revealed a stepped theatre, a bouleuterion (council house), an agora with porticoes and a colonnaded street, as well as workshops, houses and a church from the Christian period.
Under Hadrian, a theatre for some 8,000 spectators was built on the hill east of the city. Pessinus lost its importance in the ninth century and was eventually abandoned. Excavations have been led in turn by Belgian, then Australian teams, from the late 1960s until 2013.
Tips
- Midas Yazılıkaya and the Eti Archaeological Museum are the other Eskişehir-area sites to pair with this one.
- Much of the site is open ground with little shade; bring water and sun protection.
Questions
When is Pessinus Archaeological Site open?
According to the Ministry’s listing it opens at 08:00 and closes at 17:00 (last entry 16:30). Open every day.
Can I buy tickets for Pessinus Archaeological Site on this site?
No. This site sells no tickets. Topkapı Palace, the Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia and Dolmabahçe Palace are sold on our sister sites; for Pessinus Archaeological Site, buy at the ticket office or on the Ministry’s official e-ticket system.
Where is Pessinus Archaeological Site?
Pessinus Archaeological Site is in Eskişehir, Türkiye — Ballıhisar Köyü.
Nearby
Eskişehir
Midas Yazılıkaya Archaeological Site
A Phrygian rock city on a tuff plateau near Han in Eskişehir province, with monumental rock-cut façades and the religious heart of the Midas country.
Eskişehir
Eti Archaeological Museum
Eskişehir's modern archaeological museum, a private-sector project handed to the state, showing finds from across the province in three purpose-built blocks.
Istanbul tickets online
Four Istanbul landmarks, each sold on its own site by the agency behind this guide — dated entry and free cancellation up to 24 hours.
Basilica Cistern
Justinian’s great underground reservoir: 336 columns in still water and the two Medusa heads. Fast-track entry with a digital audio guide.
Hagia Sophia
Justinian’s cathedral, the sultans’ mosque and a working mosque again today. The ticket admits you to the upper visitor gallery.
Dolmabahçe Palace
A nineteenth-century palace on the water’s edge: the Selamlık, the Ceremonial Hall under its chandelier, the crystal staircase and the Harem.