In modern times, the Ottoman Empire was one of only a handful of states that pioneered archaeological heritage protection through law. Between 1869 and 1906, the Ottoman state promulgated four special laws on antiquities (asar-ı atika nizamnamesi) aimed at regulating this field in a comprehensive manner. This presentation will discuss the goals of each one of these laws. It will also examine their content, especially in terms of protection of antiquities, ownership and export of finds, and archaeological research. This presentation will moreover look into the ways in which the laws on antiquities were implemented throughout the Empire. Finally, it will try to locate the Empire in a global (archaeological) context, primarily through a comparison with Greece and Great Britain.