Welcome to Ankara, the capital of Turkey, in the central part of Anatolia. Known in history as Ancyra and Angora, it was once the capital of the ancient Celtic state of Galatia. In 1920 the Grand National Assembly of Turkey was established here, and when the Republic was founded on 29 October 1923, Ankara became the new capital. The city even lent its old name to Angora wool, the Angora goat and the Angora cat. Its historical heart is a rocky hill crowned by the ruins of Ankara Castle. Let us set off.
Anıtkabir
Photo: William Neuheisel from DC, US · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsWelcome to Anıtkabir, whose name means grave monument. This complex holds the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Designed by Emin Onat and Orhan Arda, it was built between 1944 and 1953, and on 10 November 1953 Atatürk's remains were brought here in a ceremony. You enter along the Lion Road, an alley leading to a ceremonial plaza surrounded by colonnades. Inside the Hall of Honour stands his symbolic sarcophagus, while his actual remains rest in a burial chamber on the level below. Around it all lies a wooded area called the Peace Park.
Ankara Castle
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsHigh on the hill above the old city stands Ankara Castle. The very first fortification on this spot was built by the Phrygians in the 8th century BC and rebuilt by the Galatians in 278 BC. Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans all rebuilt or renewed it in turn. Look closely at the walls: both the inner and outer lines were built with large quantities of reused masonry. The inner walls, with their closely spaced towers, enclose an area of about 350 by 150 metres.
Museum of Anatolian Civilizations
Just south of Ankara Castle you find the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, housed in an old Ottoman bazaar storage building and the Kurşunlu Han. It owes its origin to Atatürk's wish to establish a Hittite museum. Inside, the story of Anatolia unfolds in order, from the Paleolithic era through the Hittites, Phrygians, Greeks and Romans to the Seljuks and Ottomans, with finds from sites such as Çatalhöyük. Its coin collection runs from the first minted money to modern times. In 1997 it was chosen as the first European Museum of the Year.
Kocatepe Mosque
Photo: A.Savin · FAL · Wikimedia CommonsLook up at the Kocatepe Mosque, the largest mosque in Ankara. Built between 1967 and 1987, its size and prominent position make it a landmark you can see from almost anywhere in central Ankara. The idea is older than the building: a society to build a mosque here was founded in 1944. A later design competition chose an innovative modern project by Vedat Dalokay and Nejat Tekelioğlu, but it drew heavy criticism from conservatives.
Atakule
Photo: A.Savin · FAL · Wikimedia CommonsRising 125 metres above the hilltop district of Çankaya is Atakule, a communications and observation tower and one of the city's main landmarks. Because Çankaya itself sits on a hill, the tower can be spotted from almost anywhere in Ankara on a clear day. It opened in 1989. At the top is a revolving restaurant that makes a full turn in one hour. And the name? Ata means ancestor, a nickname often used for Atatürk, and kule means tower.
Lomakuume
