A new museum featuring Anatolian civilizations opened Friday at Istanbul Airport, as a culture and art area apart from serving as Turkey’s gateway to the world.

Axar.az reports citing Turkish media.

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Istanbul Airport Museum.

An exhibition titled Treasures of Turkey - Faces of Thrones launched the museum.

Speaking at the event, Ersoy said that the museum gathers artifacts mirroring all civilizations in Anatolia, Turkey’s heartland.

“One-third of foreign visitors are coming to Turkey via Istanbul Airport,” Ersoy said.

Last year, around 15 million people entered Turkey from Istanbul Airport and another 15 million people used the airport for transit travels, he added.

Ersoy said that the museum will create awareness for Anatolian civilizations, especially among transit passengers.

He added that destinations such as Istanbul have permanent guests visiting every year or twice a year, and for this reason, the museum will change its concept each year.

Yerlikaya, for his part, said that the Istanbul Airport Museum is the largest airport museum in the world.