A new museum in Şanlıurfa will open next month, Şanlıurfa Museum Director Müslüm Ercan told an İHA correspondent. "We have almost finished the preparations we began two-and-a-half years ago. The museum will display nearly 10,000 works of art," Ercan said, emphasizing that the museum will accelerate national tourism. Visitors will also see information boards and labels about museum items and historical periods. "We are currently dealing with the final arrangements and have completed an exhausting project. Building a museum is as hard as acquiring land. Our efforts have been successful, though," he continued. Ercan underscored the difficulty of moving 70,000 items from one place to another. "We brought mosaics extending 560-square-meters from rural towns such as Siverek, Halfeti and Viranşehir. Other items that were previously in storage will also be on display," he said. Ercan believes the museum will create a stir internationally. "Foreign tour agencies are asking us for the museum's opening date. We are delighted for their interest, as the museum will make a significant contribution to both the city and the region's tourism," he added. Ercan said tourism requires serious infrastructure, including hotels and transportation systems. "We must solve our problems immediately in order to continue our activities that will transform the city in a tourism destination," he stressed. The Şanlıurfa Museum will showcase archaeological pieces discovered in Göbeklitepe, which is known as the oldest temple complex in the world.