'World's biggest Urartu museum' in southeastern Turkey plans for post-pandemic visitors

Dubbed the world's largest museum for Urartu artifacts, the Van Museum in southeastern Turkey is preparing to host visitors after the COVID-19 pandemic. The museum director noted that they've made a plan for the sterilization of the building, along with disinfecting the visitors' hands and feet.

Wednesday May 20 2020 05:53 pm

Duvar English

Dubbed the world's largest museum for the Urartu civilization, the Van Museum is preparing to host visitors again after months of COVID-19 closures.

Museum Director Erol Uslu noted that the whole building was disinfected and that all displays were sterilized periodically.

"We've prepared an extensive plan involving where hands and feet would be disinfected, which areas will be closed off and where visitors will be able to stand at a safe distance from each other," Uslu said.

The director said that he hopes visitors will be able to tour the museum comfortably.

Nearly half of the the museum's collection is from the Urartu civilization, dating back to the 7th and 8th century B.C., Uslu said, although they have artifacts from the Ottoman and Seljuk empires.

While some 2,542 artifacts are on display at the museum, their inventory has about 45,000 items in it, Uslu added.