Reality and Simulation in Digital Museology: The Example of Ephesus Experience Museum

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between reality and simulation in the context of digital museology through the lens of Jean Baudrillard’s simulation theory. The focus of the research is the Ephesus Experience Museum, located within the UNESCO World Heritage Site and awarded the title of “World’s Best Museum” in 2024. The study investigates how digitally reconstructed historical narratives shape visitors’ perception of reality. Adopting a qualitative research design, the study employs descriptive analysis and case study methods. The data were collected from academic publications, press releases, promotional materials, and expert commentaries. The collected data were analyzed using open coding and thematic analysis techniques. The findings indicate that historical knowledge in the Ephesus Experience Museum is presented not only at a cognitive level but also through emotional and aesthetic dimensions. Through simulation technologies, visitors are spatially immersed in the past, experiencing hyperreal encounters via the coordination of sound, light, and visuals. In this context, the boundaries between historical reality and digital fiction in museum narratives appear increasingly blurred. The study opens a discussion on the pedagogical, epistemological, and ethical dimensions of simulation in digital museology. It argues that digital narratives transform visitors from passive recipients into participants situated within a hyperreal stage. Ultimately, the study reveals that information presentation in digital museums relies not solely on objective data transmission but also on strategies of aesthetic representation.