National Museum of Natural History, Ankara

The Martyr Cuma Dağ Natural History Museum, also known as the National Museum of Natural History was established on February 7, 1968. It is the first and only Natural History Museum in Türkiye. In 2003, the museum moved to its current building, which has four floors.

The ground floor of the museum is dedicated to space and the solar system. Visitors can explore deep space and learn about the planets. The section also displays meteorites, including the famous thunderstone.

The visually impaired section has showcases holding miniature models of each section of the museum, and samples exhibited in open windows are presented with labels written in the Braille alphabet. The diorama section on this floor holds samples of flora and fauna of Türkiye, including endangered species such as the Anatolian panther. The ground floor also exhibits fossils of extinct species such as the Maraş elephant, Gomphotherium angustidens, and giant rhinoceros.

The second floor of the museum exhibits samples of minerals and rocks that make up the Earth's crust. Visitors can observe metallic ores, industrial and energy raw material specimens, and mining tools, which are the witnesses of the development of mining, along with the social and cultural development of humankind.

The Gemstones Section on the second floor displays scintillating, glamorous, colorful crystals from Türkiye and worldwide. The Mining History of Türkiye Section showcases the basic materials of tools, equipment, and materials of our daily lives. Visitors can also observe cupellation and cementation sections, as well as the model of mining in the Bronze Age.

The third floor features the Science Tunnel, which was built in 2017. It displays the geological heritage areas of Türkiye, the safari parks of South Africa, the colorful world of flowers, and the diversity of underwater reefs.

In addition to the exhibitions, the Martyr Cuma Dağ Natural History Museum has laboratories for paleontology, mineralogy, petrography, and gemology. The museum also has an archive that stores nearly 100,000 samples. The museum has a training mission to create awareness of nature conservation through "Traveling Museum Activities," "Educational Prepared Minerals and Rocks Sets" being sent to schools around Türkiye, and "Scientific Research Projects."