The city of Ankara lies in the center of Anatolia on the eastern edge of the great, high Anatolian Plateau, at an altitude of 850 meters. It is the center of the province of the same name, which is a predominantly fertile wheat steppe-land with forested areas in its northeast region. It is bordered by the provinces of Cankiri and Bolu to the north, Eskisehir to the west, Konya and Aksaray to the south, and Kirikkale and Kirsehir to the east. 

The region's history goes back to the Bronze Age; Hatti Civilization, which was succeeded in the 2nd millennium BC by the Hittites, then the Phrygians (10th century BC); Lydians and Persians followed. After these came the Galatians, a Celtic race who were the first to make Ankara their capital (3rd century BC). It was then known as Ancyra, meaning anchor. The town subsequently fell to the Romans, Byzantines, and Selcuks under ruler Alparslan in 1073, and then to the Ottomans under sultan Yildirim Beyazit in 1402, who remained in control until the First World War. 

The town, once an important trading center on the caravan route to the east, had declined in importance by the nineteenth century. It became an important center again when Kemal Ataturk chose it as the base from which to direct the War of Liberation. In consequence of its role in the war and its strategic position, it was declared the capital of the new Turkish Republic on the 13th October,1923. 

Anitkabir (Ataturk Mausoleum)
Located in an imposing position in the Anittepe quarter of the city stands the Mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic. Completed in 1953, it is an impressive fusion of ancient and modern architectural ideas and remains unsurpassed as an accomplishment of modern Turkish architecture. There is a museum housing writings, letters and items belonging to Ataturk as well as an exhibition of photographs recording important moments in his life and the establishment of the republic. (Anitkabir and the museum is open everyday, except Mondays. During the summer, there is a light and sound show in the evenings).

Where To Visit

ANCIENT CITIES

The history of Gordion goes back to 3000 BC (Early Bronze Age). It was an important settlement during the Assyrian and Hittite periods (1950 BC - 1180 BC) and, of course, the Phrygian era (900 BC - 620 BC), during which it was the capital city. It was named after King Gordios, the king who made it the capital. The famous knot made by King Gordios was cut in two by Alexander the Great in 333 BC, when he wintered in Gordion.

The period of Alexander the Great (300 BC -100 BC) began in Gordion with his conquest. Following that, the area came under the control of the Romans (1st century BC to 4th century AD) and then the Selcuks (11th - 13th century AD). All of this occurred in the short space of 4000 years.

Ahlatlibel

Ahlatlibel is located 14 km southwest of Ankara on the old Taspinar Village - Gavurkale - Haymana road. This Early Bronze Age site was an important settlement in Anatolia.

Bitik

The Bitik Mound is 42 km northwest of Ankara. The excavations have uncovered, from top to bottom, dwellings belonging to the Classic Age of the 5th century BC and going back to the Late Bronze Age. The Phrygian and Hittite dwellings are less important than the others. The artifacts at Bitik from the Late Bronze Age document the interest in Eastern and Western Anatolia.

Etiyokusu

Located 5 km north of Ankara on the banks of Cubuk Creek, it was excavated in 1937 by Professor Sevket Aziz Kansu under the auspices of the Turkish History Association. At the lowest level, tools belonging to the Late Stone Age were recovered. The level above that was similar to the culture of the Early Bronze, and that of nearby Ahlatlibel. At the very top level the remains of a large palace belonging to the different periods were unearthed.

Gavurkale

60 km southwest of Ankara, this area from the bed of Babayakup Creek, which flows right beside the hill, has been the site of continuous settlement. The hill was given the name Gavurkale (Infidel Castle) because of the broken down walls.

Gavurkale has drawn the attention of many. On the southern exposure of the steep cliffs is a relief of two gods walking, one behind the other, and across from them sits a goddess. There is a wall made of gigantic stone blocks surrounding this rocky outcrop. The stone reliefs here is just one example of these uniquely Hittite monuments found scattered throughout the country.

Researchers have determined that this was an important walled city. At first it was thought to have been a Hittite worship centre, but later it was realised that the Phrygians settled here as well. The site was visited in 1930 by Ataturk himself. In the following years a number of surface investigations were conducted, and in 1998 new excavations were begun at Gavurkale by the Chair of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations.

Karalar

Karalar is a village about 60 km northwest of Ankara, and is important because of the fact that it witnessed continuous settlement during the Classic Age. In the region known as Asarkaya, the architectural remains of a Celtic castle. Artifacts belonging to the Hellenistic Age have been found in the tumulus. Ancient coins discovered in the area indicate that there were commercial ties with Egypt and Syria.

The Temple of Augustus

Situated adjacent to the Haci Bayram Mosque in Ulus, the temple was built in the 2nd century BC in honour of the Phrygian Goddess Men. The remains of the temple we see today are those of the temple built in honour of the Roman Emperor Augustus as a sign of fidelity by the King Pylamenes, the son of the Celtic ruler Amintos. During Byzantine times windows and other additions were made and it was turned into a church.

The perimeter is made up on four walls lined with columns, and around it are the column holders: 15 down the length of each side, six along the width, four in front of the temple door and two in the back. The only standing part of the temple is the door with its ornately carved posts. A copy of Emperor Augustus's last will and testament, the original of which is found in the Temple in Rome, enumerates his accomplishments and is located on the temple wall adjacent to the tomb.

Julian's Column

This is located beside the pool between the financial directorate and the governor's building.. It is about 15m high, with a number of rings along its length, and has no inscriptions. It is said to have been set up in honour of Emperor Julian when he passed through Ankara (361-363 AD). It is known locally as the Belkis Minaret.

Roman Baths

Located on Cankiri Street between Ulus Square and Yildirim Bayazit Square, the baths sit on a platform about 2.5m above the street.

The baths date back to Caracalla (212-217 AD). The Cankiri Street entrance to the Caracalla baths leads to a wrestling arena, which was covered with a portico surrounded with columns. On one side of this courtyard are 32 columns with a total of 128 over the whole area. The actual baths are located immediately behind the wrestling arena. Besides the unusually large size of the structure, the baths have a very typical layout consisting of the Apoditerium (dressing area), the Frigidarium (cold-section), the Tepidarium (warm section) and the Caldarium (hot section).

Ankara Roman Theatre

Located between Hisar and Pinar streets, the theare was first discovered in 1982 and a salvage excavation began on March 15 1983 by the Museum Administration. The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations continued the excavations until 1986. What was uncovered was the remains of a typical Roman theatre dating back to the 2nd century AD. In addition to a number of statues and statue pieces, all that remains are the foundations and walls of what was once a vaulted parados building, orchestra, amphitheatre and a stage.

Akkopru

This, the oldest bridge in Ankara, crosses the Ankara Creek in front of Varlik Mahallesi. The Selcuk ruler Alaaddin Keykubat I had it built in 1222 while Kizilbey was governor of Ankara.

Hoyuk (Tumulus)

Located with the boundaries of Turkhoyuk village, it consists mainly of marble columns and gravestones belonging to the Roman and Byzantine eras.

Kul Hoyuk is situated within the city limits of the town of Oyaca. It is reached by turning right about 50 km out on the Ankara-Haymana highway, towards the villages of Boyalik, Culuk, Calis and Durupinar. The tumulus is 1.5 km down this road on the right-hand side.

There are continuing excavations going on in this medium-sized tumulus, under the direction of the Museum of Anatolia Civilizations. The Hittite Cult Centre, 8 km to the west near Gavurkale, indicates that this was probably an important Hittite settlement.

Besides the hidden cistern, built in the traditional style of grand monumental Hittite, there are the remains of huge foundations which can most likely be dated back to the Early Bronze Age and the beginning of the Hittite Empire. In light of the ceramic, bronze and other archeological finds, it is known that the area was inhabited about 5000 years ago.

The mausoleum of the Republic's founder and leader, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Anitkabir was built on the hill of Rasattepe and has an impressive entrance. It was designed by architects Prof. Emin Onat and Doc. Orahn Arda, and completed in 1953. Ataturk was removed from the temporary burial site at the Ethnographic Museum and brought here with great ceremony the same year.

Within the Anitkabir complex are the Tower of Independence, the Tower of Liberty, The Road of Lions, Mudafaa-i Hukuk Tower, the Soldier's Tower, the Tower of Victory, the Tower of Peace, the April 23 Tower, the Misak-i Milli Tower, the Reform Tower and the Victory Reliefs. The hallowed Mausoleum hall itself is a colonnaded temple with huge bronze doors but little in the way of decoration. Opposite is the tomb of Ismet Inonu, the first prime minister of the Turkish republic and president after Ataturk's death.

The Anitkabir museum is located between the Tower of the National Pact and the Tower of the Revolution. A number of Ataturk's personal belongings are exhibited, including clothes that he wore, and gifts presented to him by visiting foreign dignitaries.

Museum Tel : (+90 312) 310 53 61

Opening hours: Winter - 0900-1200 & 1300-1700. Summer - 0900-1230 & 1330-1700, closed Mondays.

Anatolian Civilisations Museum

Located on the south side of Ankara Castle in the Atpazari area, the Museum consists of the old Ottoman Mahmut Pasa bazaar storage building, and the Kursunlu Han. Because of Ataturk's desire to establish a Hittite museum, the buildings were bought upon the suggestion of Hamit Zubeyir Kosay, who was then Culture Minister, to the National Education Minister, Saffet Arikan. After the remodelling and repairs were completed (1938 -1968), the building was opened to the public as the Ankara Archaeological Museum.

Today Kursunlu Han, used as an administrative building, houses the work rooms, library, conference hall, laboratory and workshop. The old bazaar building houses the exhibits. Within this Ottoman building, the museum has a number of exhibits of Anatolian archeology. They start with the Paleolithic era, and continue chronologically through the Neolithic, Early Bronze, Assyrian Trading Colonies, Hittite, Phrygian and Urartu periods. There is also an extensive collection of artifacts from the excavations at Karain, Catalhoyuk, Hacilar, Canhasan, Beyce Sultan, Alacahoyuk, Alacahoyuk, Kultepe, Acemhoyuk, Bogazkoy Gordion, Pazarli, Altintepe, Adilcevaz and Patnos as well as examples of several periods.

The exhibits of gold, silver, glass, marble and bronze works date back as far as the second half of the first millennium BC. The coin collections, with examples ranging from the first minted money to modern times, represent the museum's rare cultural treasures.

Museum Tel : (+90 312) 324 31 60 / 312 62 48.

Opening hours: 08.30 - 17.30, closed Mondays

Ethnographical Museum

This museum was founded in the Namazgah area of Ankara, on a hill with a Muslim graveyard, and was opened to the public on July 18, 1930. The courtyard was closed in November 1938 when it served as the temporary burial site for Ataturk, and reopened when his body was moved to Anitkabir. This section is still preserved as a tomb in symbolic respect of the memory of Atatürk, as the Museum served as his tomb for 15 years.

The Ethnographical Museum has examples of Turkish art from the Selcuk period until the present day. There is a library for specialists in Anatolian ethnography, folklore and art history located in the museum. The building is rectangular with a single dome, and the stone walls covered with travertine. The pediment is marble with ornate carvings, and a staircase of 28 steps lead to main entrance. There are three entrances to the building which has 4 columns. The column-lined inner court is reached by passing through a domed hall. A marble pool in the middle of the open courtyard is surrounded by a number of large and small rooms. The two-story administrative building is adjacent to the museum.

Museum Tel : (+90 312) 311 95 56

Opening hours: 0830-1230 & 1330-1730, closed Mondays

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