The Ephesus Experience Museum in Türkiye has won first place at the Mondo-Dr Awards, an event honoring prestigious projects in the global exhibition and hospitality sector. Developed and operated by DEM Museology under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ephesus Experience Museum made its mark on the world by outperforming its competitors in the "Best Museum" category.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy shared the following message on his social media account with the note, "The best in the world: Ephesus Experience Museum": "Our Ephesus Experience Museum, located in the UNESCO World Heritage site of the ancient city of Ephesus, has been awarded the 'Best Museum' prize in Las Vegas. Our museum, which surpassed its competitors in technology, design, and exhibitions at the Mondo-Dr Awards, one of the world's most prestigious accolades, has made its name known globally with this prestigious award. I congratulate our Ephesus Experience Museum for leaving behind the world's most distinguished museums and thank everyone who contributed to our museum's journey to become the best in the world."
The event, organized by the U.K.-based Modriale Publishing, has been held annually since 1984, with this year's ceremony taking place on June 12 in Las Vegas. The awards celebrate the best projects and achievements in the exhibition and hospitality sector, focusing on venue design, visitor experience and technical installations.
As one of the first museums in the world to combine experiential museology with historical storytelling, the Ephesus Experience Museum surpassed museums like Paris' Eternal Mucha and Denmark’s Carl Nielsen and Regan Vest. In the finals, the museum competed against the Aramco VIP Visitor Center in Riyadh, India in Fashion in India, and the Dome Des Invalides in Paris, ultimately securing first place.
Last year, the first-place winner in the same category was the Museum of the Future in Dubai.
Situated in the ancient city of Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Selçuk, Izmir, the Ephesus Experience Museum offers visitors a new approach to museology, allowing them to experience the golden age of the ancient city firsthand. Using immersive technologies, the museum enables visitors to personally experience daily life, architecture and art in ancient Ephesus.
These technologies provide a rich and encompassing auditory and visual experience, making the stories told feel real. The museum was designed by a diverse team of architects, curators, designers, artists, technology experts, historians and archaeologists from leading companies and academic institutions in Türkiye and worldwide.
