Ankara
Hatti civilization is the first known settlement around Ankara back in the Bronze Age. Even though the city was thriving under the control of Hatti civilization, the city improved much more after Phrygians arrived. King Midas also came to the city when it was not populated. After his arrival, the population grew as well. Phrygians were defeated by Lydians and then Lydians by Persians. Similar to the fate of many civilizations, Alexander the Great defeated the Persians in the area and took over the city in 333 BCE. After the death of Alexander the Great, the city became a share of Antigonus. The city also improved and expanded after the Greeks arrived and it became a center of commerce. At this time, the city earned its name Ankyra which means “anchor” in Greek. In 278 BCE, Galatians who were speaking Celtic took over the city and it was started to be known as Ancyra.
Later on, the city was taken over by Augustus of the Roman Empire in 25 BCE. During the reign of the Roman Empire, the city continued to grow as a center of commerce. The city was important in terms of trading because it was this city where all the roads in Anatolia were intersecting. Due to its central location, the city was conquered constantly. During the Byzantine Empire era, Ancyra was a place where emperors would come to rest. Ottoman Empire took over the city in 1356. However, Timur defeated the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Ankara and took over the city in 1402. In 1403, the city was taken over by the Ottomans one more time.
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WHEN TO VISITAnkara is mostly visited by tourists during the summer months. However, keep in mind that there is no beach or sea to be enjoyed in Ankara. Therefore summer is only a good time to enjoy the sun and explore the ancient remains and landmarks in the city.
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LANGUAGETurkish is the official language spoken.
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HOW TO GET AROUNDYou can get on buses and metro for traveling around the city. You need to buy an Ankara Kart in order to pay the fee for traveling.
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WEATHERThe summer season is hot and dry in Ankara, temperature reaching 35 degrees Celcius whereas the winter gets quite cold and there is usually snowfall, temperature reaching -15 degrees Celcius.
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AIRPORTSThere is only one international airport in Ankara which is Esenboğa International Airport.
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ELECTRICType C
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CURRENCYTurkish Lira or TL.
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TIME ZONEGMT +03:00
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POPULATION5.503.985
There are a few ways that you can reach the city center from the Esenboğa International Airport. BelkoAir buses are the most comfortable option you have among them. All you have to do is get on the bus numbered 442. These buses take off every 30 minutes and the fee is only 11 TL. HAVAŞ buses are the most preferred option. The fee is the same as the previous one, only 11 TL. HAVAŞ buses also take off every 30 minutes. Choosing which one you want to travel with is completely up to you. In addition to these options, you can get in a taxi or rent a car to reach the city center as well. However, we would advise you to be careful about scammers if you prefer to travel by taxi. Make sure to use an application to call a taxi and choose registered taxis to be safe.
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BelkoAir
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Havaş
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Taksi
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DIVAN CUKURHANDivan Cukurhan was originally built as a caravanserai in the 16th century. It was later renovated to become a boutique hotel that has five-stars. The hotel is located in the central city right beside the Çengelhan Rahmi M. Koç museum and Ankara Castle. You can walk to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in a matter of minutes from here. It is a great option where luxury and comfort are blended nicely with history.
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GORDION HOTELIt is a small yet luxurious place that is located right at the heart of the city. You will love the grandeur of the interior and the 17th and the 18th-century designs in the hotel that will take you back to a completely different time. The hotel is close to all the landmarks as well as shopping centers, restaurants and cafes.
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ANITKABİR
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ANKARA CASTLE
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MUSEUM OF ANATOLIAN CIVILIZATIONS
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ATAKULE
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ÇENGELHAN RAHMİ M. KOÇ MUSEUM
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GENÇLİK PARKI
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HACI BAYRAM MOSQUE
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ROMAN BATH
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KOCATEPE MOSQUE
Ankara Castle is believed to be built by the Hittites that lived in the city, even though there is no knowledge of the certain time of the construction. The Ankara Castle carries the marks of renovation during the Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Seljuk and Ottoman Empire eras which causes the structure to be associated with them instead of Hittites.
The Ankara Castle is built on a hill that overlooks the city. The exterior wall of the castle has 20 towers. The fort itself has 42 towers and the walls of it reach up to 16 meters in height. The exterior walls are not in a great condition due to the damages it got during the invasions. However, the castle itself has remained in good condition and managed to survive until today.
If you visit the Ankara Castle, you can see the old Ankara houses on one side and the new Ankara on the other, combining history with the present.
Ankara Castle is believed to be built by the Hittites that lived in the city, even though there is no knowledge of the certain time of the construction. The Ankara Castle carries the marks of renovation during the Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Seljuk and Ottoman Empire eras which causes the structure to be associated with them instead of Hittites.
The Ankara Castle is built on a hill that overlooks the city. The exterior wall of the castle has 20 towers. The fort itself has 42 towers and the walls of it reach up to 16 meters in height. The exterior walls are not in a great condition due to the damages it got during the invasions. However, the castle itself has remained in good condition and managed to survive until today.
If you visit the Ankara Castle, you can see the old Ankara houses on one side and the new Ankara on the other, combining history with the present.
The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations is located near the Ankara Castle. The Mahmut Paşa Bazaar and the Inn int he area was restored and converted into a museum to display the Hittite artifacts. In the museum, there are many artifacts displayed from different ages. There are many artifacts displayed from the Palaeolithic Age that were found in the Karain Cave in Antalya. The artifacts of the Neolithic Age found in Çatalhöyük and Hacılar are also displayed in the museum such as sculptures, paintings, clay figurines and tools. Metal tools, jewelry and figurines that belong to the Chalcolithic Age can also be seen in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. Many tablets, seals, vases and figures of the Hittite Period are displayed in a different section of the museum.
The artifacts belonging to the Hellenistic Period as well as Roman and Byzantine eras are also displayed in the museum including, jewelry, coins and statues. If you wish to learn more about the Anatolian civilizations, the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations is a must-see. Especially if you have traveled to some of the most important ancient landmarks in Turkey, this museum would be a great place to tie all your knowledge together and discover more about those places by examining the artifacts found in those places.
Atakule is one of the landmarks that attract attention in the city. It is a huge tower that is 125 meters high. It was mainly built as both a communication and an observation tower. It is located in the Çankaya district of Ankara. Since the district is on a hill, the tower can be seen from the entire city. The construction of the tower was completed in 1989. At the top of the tower, there are two restaurants where you can enjoy a nice meal while having a panoramic view of the city. In fact, one of the restaurants, Sevilla, in the tower rotates around the tower and completes a full rotation in an hour, allowing the visitors to see the entire city from where they are sitting. There is also a shopping mall in the tower that is also the first shopping mall opened in Ankara along with other cafes and restaurants.
Çengelhan Rahmi M. Koç Museum is quite different from the other historical museums you might have been used to visiting in Turkey. It is a technology museum opened in 2005 by an industrialist Rahmi M. Koç. On the ground floor, you can visit the carpet gallery, pharmaceutical exhibits as well as agricultural machinery and transportation vehicles of different periods. On the upper floor, you can see trains, many instruments of science, navigation and communication along with toys. There is also a section dedicated to the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the father of Rahmi M. Koç.
Gençlik Parkı is a public park in Ankara whose name can be literally translated as “the youth park”. It is located in the center of the city. The Gençlik Parkı was opened in 1943 on the National Youth Day, the 19th of May. In the park, there are many cafes along with a swimming pool, an amusement park as well as an open-air theater. The park earns the name as the youths of Ankara love to visit the place and enjoy their time to the fullest. Of course, those who have young souls enjoy the parks as well and maybe even more.
Hacı Bayram Mosque is one of the most famous mosques in Ankara. The construction of the mosque was completed in 1428 and its architect was Mehmet Bey. It was built on behalf of Hacı Bayram Veli who was a Turkish Sufi and a poet. The interior of the mosque is covered with Kütahya ceramic tiles. In addition to the mosque, there is also the Hacı Bayram Veli tomb where many Muslims visit to pray for his soul.
The Roman Baths in Ankara are the remains of what was once a complex of the Roman baths. It is currently functioning as an open-air museum. It is believed the baths were built in the 3rd century by a Roman Emperor named Caracalla due to the coins found during the excavation. These baths actually managed to survive until the 18th century and had been used for a long time. However, in the 18th century, the baths were destroyed by a fire. Nowadays, we can only see the remnants of the basement and the first floor of the entire complex.
The Kocatepe Mosque is another famous mosque in Ankara and it is the largest one in the city. The making of this mosque started way earlier as an idea during the 1940s. However, none of the architectural plans were accepted. Another project made in 1957 was finally chosen as the plan of the future mosque that would be built in Ankara. This was a joint project between Vedat Dalokay and Nejat Tekelioğlu. However, the modernist architectural design of the mosque received a lot of criticism at the time. Therefore, the construction was stopped. Another competition wad made in 1967. A more traditional mosque design won the competition. It was a joint project of Hüsrev Tayla and M. Fatin Uluengin. The design of the mosque was inspired by the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne that was built by the famous Ottoman architect and a genius, Mimar Sinan.
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BEYPAZARI KURUSUBeypazarı kurusu is essentially made of a firm dough with a lot of butter and cinnamon. It is then baked and eaten by dipping it into a cup of tea. You could also eat it with some cheese or Nutella. This is so good that you can even eat it instead of chips while watching a movie.
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KARGA BEYNİNow don’t freak out but the name translates into “the crow’s brain”. I don’t know why they chose such a name but it has nothing to do with crows or brains. It is basically made of yogurt and molasses mixed together. You can eat it any time of the day by spreading it on a slice of bread.
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BEYPAZARI GÜVECİThis is a meal that is prepared with lamb meat and it is 500 years old recipe. It used to be specifically prepared for the sultans of the Ottoman Empire. What makes it so special is the meat used in the recipe as the meat is taken from animals that are naturally fed. It is a difficult recipe to make as it is cooked for five hours in a stone oven.
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KURU KÖFTEThis is a type of meatball that resembles the ones a mother makes. In Ankara, you can eat this delicious meatball in any restaurant. They say that you will not like other meatballs after you eat this one. You might want to see if that is true or not.
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ŞİBİT TATLISIThis is an interesting dessert. Think of baklava but imagine it without the pistachios or walnuts inside. There is only the sweet dough that is in thin layers. If you like baklava, give this one a try as well. It might be a good idea to try this one for those who cannot eat baklava because they are allergic to walnuts or pistachios.
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BAZLAMA KEBABIBazlama kebabı is made with a type of bread called bazlama. The meat is put inside the bun and served. The bread soaks up all the delicious juices. Its softness mixed with the tasty meat will definitely make you happy.