Sign in with Facebook"the capital of Turkey" Top 5 Page for this destination Ankara by mindcrime
Ankara Travel Guide: 464 reviews and 1,174 photos
I always wanted to visit the capital of Turkey. Most of the tourists don’t come here because it’s far from Istanbul (about 500km, 6 hours by bus) and with not so much sights to see. Many people think that it’s a city with no history, with no cultural life and no lively social or nightlife.
Hittites settled here 1200BC but the evolution came with Phrygians. Later Greeks arrived (Alexanger the Great conquered the city, it was called Ankyra by Greeks) and later Romans and Byzantines arrived and took the city until Seljuk Turks took their place after 1071.
Ataturk moved the capital to Ankara after the declaration of Turkish Republic and in fact he built a new city so there is no association with the Ottoman Empire for the visitor to make it more attractive like Istanbul. The population of Ankara is over 5 millions, so it’s a crowded big city but I wanted to visit a local friend and I decided to stop here before continue my trip to Capadocia the day after. I found the old town more authentic than other old towns (including the one in Istanbul) and the people friendly and smiley.
You can see the basic sights in one day but all of them are great:
1)the castle of Ankara
2)the museum of Anatolian Civilizations
3)the mausoleum of Ataturk
4)the statue of Ataturk on the horse is great during the sunset
5)the local food is delicious and way cheaper than Istanbul
6)some lakes near the city are lovely
Reviews (26)
Atakule
Things to Do
(12)
I like to see cities from above! When in Ankara you can do it for free up from the Ankara castle or you can pay 7,5TL... more travel advice
museum of Republic
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Cumhuriet Muzesi is just a few meters south of the War of Independence Museum. It was the second Parliament building of... more travel advice
War of Independence Museum
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Kurtulus Savasi Muzesi was the first Parliament building of Turkey, the first sessions of the new government too place... more travel advice
statue of Ataturk at Ulus
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There no way to visit a Turkish city and not notice the statue of Kemal Ataturk in the main square. I think the most... more travel advice
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Ankara Travel Guide
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MusicLatest Ankara hotel reviews
- Ankara Hilton Hotel SA
- 75 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 18, 2012 - Hotel Mithat Ankara
- 9 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Oct 31, 2011 - Kent Hotel Ankara
- 5 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 23, 2012 - Crowne Plaza Hotel Ankara
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Latest: Apr 28, 2012 - Capital Plaza Hotel
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Latest: Dec 30, 2009 - Rixos Grand Hotel Ankara
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Latest: Apr 23, 2012 - Turist Hotel
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Latest: Mar 29, 2012 - Houston Hotel Ankara
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Latest: May 9, 2012 - Elit Palas Ankara
- 4 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 28, 2012 - Sheraton Hotel & Convention Center Ankara
- 40 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 24, 2012 - Ankara Plaza Hotel
- 17 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 21, 2012 - Radisson Blu Hotel, Ankara
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Latest: May 21, 2012
Comments (12)
most interesting page, fascinated that hitler gifted ataturk a vehicle. more here than most tour books imply, enjoyed reading through.
Great tips, I really enjoyed the virtual tour of Ankara! Ilan
File mu Kons, Selam. It was great to meet again with you in Ankara. Your pages are full with knowledges as usual. Congrats
You always manage to highlight the best of every place. Thanks for this page.
Great story! Thanks for your comprehensive page, Konstantinos !
very informative and well written. Thanks for sharing...
A city with so much to offer I thought. ;-)
So, you were lucky about the entrance fee;)) Sibel
Another excellent page of yours bringing back great memories about the Turkish capital! Thanks Konstantinos for the virtual tour!
Great page with superb tips. In England, compost is what we would put on the garden to make the plants grow. Compote is what we call the fruit dish!!!!!
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