Ankara Things to Do Tips by basak

It is a very new museum opened in Middle East Technical Campus( at September 2005) It is very close to my work-place, so i had an oppurtunity to see all the work done for the costruction of the museum and finally, i visited there when they finished. I find its architecture very intersting. They constructed a round metal building on the middle of the land, it looks like an UFO. It was hard to find the door when i went to visit there. I was surprised when i saw that they were able to hang a helicopter on the ceiling of this small building. They exhibit all sorts of materials that are not used in the university anymore (old cameras, typewriters, computers, optic instruments, experiment instruments, etc.). In addition to that, they have old planes, a train locomotive and automobiles in the garden. There is also another building nearby. It looks like an acquarium. It is a small museum cafe and it is very crowded during lunch time. I learned that they are planing to growing the museum much more and they want to create a small lake in front of it over the years.

If you visit METU campus someday, i receommend you to visit the museum if you have time. You might enjoy it. Please remember that it is very close to "Bilkent" entrance of the university campus.

There is no entrance fee for the museum. It is open everyday except Mondays.

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Address: Metu Campus
Directions: Take ODTU (Metu)buses from the city. Get of the bus in the campus, at Technopolis Stop. It is just behind the Technopolis buildings.

If you come by car, enter the campus from Bilkent entrance. It is very close to the gate.
Website: http://depo.metu.edu.tr/BTMS.html

This is a very new private museum in Ankara. Rahmi Koc is the owner of the biggest holding in Turkey. He is the son of Vehbi Koc who had started his business life in a small shop in Ankara. Rahmi Koc bought and renovated the historical building in which his father's shop was sutiaed and turned it into an industry museum in 2005.

This is the sister Museum of another larger museum dedicated to history of transport, industry and communications and created by Rahmi Koc in Istahbul.

In 32 rooms of the museum, it is possible to see not only some scientific and medical tools used many years ago but also many items of daily life such as old TVs, radios and models of old ships, planes, railway tools.

There is a nice coffee-house in the museum where you can eat really nice cakes, hoewever it is quite expensive.

When visiting the museum, please remember to watch your head!! It is a very old building (first built in 1522) and at those times the doors were built very short to keep the heat inside, therefore you must be careful to keep your head when entering into rooms.

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Phone: +90 0312 309 68 00
Directions: It is just at the opposite of the entrance of Ankara Castle.

I visited Etnography Museum on a Sunday. I was surprised that there were not many visitors, because it is a fine museum and it was a nice day to visit a museum.

Etnography Museum was built in the early days of the Turkish Republic. It contains several items to depict traditional life of Turkish People. At the entrance you see a scene from a Turkish wedding and inside there are sections about many other aspects of life such as Turkish Coffee culture, circumcission ceremony, the Turkish bath. In the museum you can also find examples of Turkish tiles, glasswork, carpets, copperwork etc.

The Museum is important in Turkish history because it was used as a temporary grave for Ataturk (the founder and the first president of Turkish Republic) between 1938-1953. The heads of states, the ambassadors and public had visited this place for 15 years to show their respect to Ataturk. After Anýtkabir (Ataturk’s masoleum) had completed, the cofin was taken from there and the building started to function as a museum again. At the moment, the innter court of the building where Ataturk’s temporary grave was put is preserved as a symbolic masoleum.

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Phone: +90 (312) 311 95 56
Address: Talatpasa Bulvari, Opera / Ankara
Directions: The museum is side by side with The State Museum of Painting and Sculpture. The both museums take place in the same large garden, so it is possible to visit both of them on the same time.

Anatolian Civilizations Museum is the most visited museum of old country. It was selected as the best museum in Europe in 1997. The items from BC 50.000 to BC 2000 is exhibited in the museum. It is possible to see how cavern poeple were living in Anatolia by visiting this e museum. The most interesting object for me was the skull of the King Midas since i previouslu watched on a TV documentary how the historians proved that it was his skull.

At the entrance of the museum an old man approached me and my sister and offered us to guide in the museum for 20YTL.. I am glad that we accepted his offer. He gave as a tour for 1 and half hour. I learned lots of things about the antic world from this retired history teacher.

Since this museum and Rahmi Koc Museum are very close to each other i recommend you to visit both on the same day and have your lunch or dinner at one of the nice touristic restaurants in the castle.

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Directions: The museum is at Atpazari district of Ankara. It is very close to the entrance of Kale (Castle)

Anitkabir is the masoleum of Ataturk (the founder and first president of Turkey ) and it is a must-visited place in Ankara. It is a huge monuement on located on one of the highest points of Ankara.

Ataturk had died in 1938. The construction of Anýtkabir started in 1944 and finally finished in 1953.

Anitkabir takes place in the middle of the "Peace" Park which is made by palanting sapplings brought from all over the world.

Lastly, I've been there on March 2006 in order to see new Ataturk Museum in it. This new museum exhibits not only clothes and many belongings of Ataturk and his vax statue but also large hall exhibiting scenes from Turkish Independence Wars. It is the most impressive part of the museum. Another section is the library where Ataturk's books are displayed. It is possible to learn details about the books using the electronic information screen.

The tomb of Ismet Inonu (second president of Turkey) is on the square where Anitkabir is located and it is at just opposite of Ataturk's tomb.

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Ankara Castle is one of the symbols of Ankara. It is argued to be constructed by Romans or by Galats. In any case, it is certain that the castle has been watching the city for very many centuries.

At the first glance the castle and environment does not look very attractive. Many of the buildings in the castle habitated by poor families and they are under bad condition. However, this place is full of hisory and there are lots of things to do in the castle and around it. Those old houses are being restored one by one and they are turning into touristic places. There are nice restaurants in the castle as well as nice cafes (i recommend Arzu Cafe) which you can enjoy the city view and drink tea-coffee. The Rahmi Koc Industry Museum and the Anatolian Civiliazation Museum (which is must-see place in Ankara) is at walking distance to the castle. If you enjoy antiques and old-objects you can enjoy Pirinc Han very much. There are Seljuk Mosques very close to the castle. Just in front of the entrance of the castle, you will see stalls of dry fruit-nuts sellers...If you walk around you can find the shops of many artizans. It is possible to sense the city life of at least 20-30 years ago due to those old shops...

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Altinpark is a nice big park in Ankara. It is close to the airport. It has many facilities such as a big cultural center, trade exhibition center, a horse-riding place, an olimpic swimming pool, a science center, a rose garden, bird-houses, sport facilities, a wedding hall, many cafes and restaurants in the park. What i like most is the artificial lake in the middle of the park. It is possible to rest in cafes or restaurants around the lake. It is also possible to rent a rowing-boat.

The science center is designed for children, but adults also may have fun there. They offer several experiment sets which visitors may try. It is a small center, but it is important since there are not many places like that in Turkey. The entrance to the science center is paid.

In the park there is also a fishing facility where visitors can rent a fishhook and catch trouts and buy the trouts they caught.

You can rent a coach to go around the park facilities.

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Directions: The park is at 20th km. on Airport Way.
Website: http://www.altinpark.com