ankara, turkey - wiki travel guide

From Wikitravel

Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and the second largest city in the country afterIstanbul. It is located at the heart of both Turkey and Central Anatolia. The populationis around 4.5 million.

Ankara is the administrative center of Turkey and a huge university town, so it has alarge population of government workers and university students. As the nationalcapital, Ankara is home to a large population of foreign diplomats and embassy staff,so it offers goods and services that might be more difficult to find in other Turkishcities.

Ankara is a sprawling, modern city which can appear as little more than a dull,concrete jungle at first glance. As a result, many tourists tend to use it merely as atransit point for getting to places like Konya or Cappodocia. However Ankara doeshave a lot to offer for those prepared to look a bit deeper.

Ankara has a symbolic significance for the secular Turks. It is the place where a newera for the Turkish people started. It is a symbol for independence, development andWestern values.

Understand

History

Ankara was a small town of few thousand people, mostly living around Ankara Castle,in the beginning of the 20th century. The fate of the city has changed, when MustafaKemal Atatürk and his friends made Ankara the center of their resistance movementagainst the Allies in 1920, and established a parliament representing the people ofTurkey, against the Allies’ controlled Ottoman Government in the occupied Istanbul ofpost World War I. Upon the success of the Turkish War of Independence, thegovernment in Istanbul and the empire is abolished by the Grand National Assembly ofTurkey in Ankara in 1923, and the Republic of Turkey is established. When you look atthe modern Ankara of 5 million people today, almost all you see is built afterwards.

This doesn't mean that Ankara does not have history. Located in the center of Anatolia,Ankara’s history goes back to second millennium BC. Footsteps of Hittites, Phrygians,Lydians, Persians, Greeks, Galatians, Romans, Byzantines and the Turks are stillpresent.

The name Ankara is originated from the Celtic word of Ancyra, meaning Anchor. Theoriginal reason of the use of the name anchor in an inland city is not certainly known,but there are several different myths. King Midas, whose touch has turned everythinginto gold in the mythology, is buried in the ancient site of Gordion, in suburbanAnkara.

If you are traveling through Ankara’s Esenboga Airport, look to the wide fields around.This is where Timur the Lane defeated Ottoman sultan Bayezid I in 1402, on the greatBattle of Ankara. The district of Esenboga keeps its name since then, as one of Timur’sfamous generals and the commander of his famous elephant fleet “Isin Boga” has sethis base here.

Ads by Google

Flight Tickets

Offers

Special Limited Flight

Offers. Book Flights at

the Cheapest Price!

edreams.com/Flights

Ankara - Wikitravel http://wikitravel.org/en/Ankara

1 of 17 5/18/2015 3:02 PM

Ankara: Kizilay square

Ankara is recaptured by the Ottomans in 1403, and remained under Turkish controlsince then.

Features

Apart from the old town in and around the citadel near Ulus and unplanned shantytownneighbourhoods inhabited by people from rural areas in the last five decades, most ofAnkara, which was a provincial town of 20,000 people in the early days of theRepublic, is a purpose-built capital due to its strategic location at the heart of thecountry. The history of settlement in the area is millenia old.

The biggest claim to fame of the town used to be the long-haired local breed of goatsnamed after former name of the city (Angora), out of which high quality mohairtextiles were produced, today the only place where you can spot them in city is thelawns on the side of a clover-leaf interchange on the highway west—in the form of cutesculptures.

Ankara being a young and modern city makes her face an identity problem. Theincrease of population from couple thousand to several million in less than a centurymeans that almost everyone came here from somewhere else. Finding a native"Ankarali" is challenging, as a result. The population and culture of Ankara, therefore,is a mixture of everything Turkey offers, with people of origins from all cities ofTurkey.

Orientation

Ankara is quite a large city, withdifferent towns and neighborhoodsof their own characters. In a verysimplified manner, most attractionsof the city run through the longAtaturk Boulevard, running anddiving the city north to south.Starting from Ulus Square, goingtowards south in AtaturkBoulevard, you will reach Kizilay,Kavaklidere and then Çankaya. Asyou pass through these districts oneby one, the standards visiblyincrease.

Ulus is the historic center of Ankara, with most museums, early republican buildings,and the ancient Ankara Castle. Being the most elegant center of the republic in thebeginning of the 20th century, now the area has left its charm, and is a messy, crowdedneighborhood. Unless you are looking for the real cheap, (rather than some specificselections) not recommended for dining, accommodations or nightlife. In case you areinterested to get a feeling of how life was once in Ankara, find Hamamonu District, thenewly restored neighborhood with old Ankara houses. A famous spot for theconservative Ankarans, walk through the narrow traditional streets, and sip yourTurkish coffee in an historic wooden house, especially at the night. Do not expect tofind alcohol at Hamamonu.

Next, Kizilay is the working class center of Ankara. The famous Kizilay Square,named after the now-demolished "Red Crescent" headquarters building, is Ankara'spolitical center. Throughout the decades, lot's of protests and rallies has taken place inthe square, and even today, this is the center of the political protests. Many roads and


2 of 17 5/18/2015 3:02 PM

streets around Kizilay are better discovered on foot, and there are lot's of budgetrestaurants, cafes, bars, and clubs of different taste. Sakarya Caddesi (Sakarya Road) isa messy pedestrian area with fisheries, street sellers and restaurants. Pass over thesouthern side of Ziya Gokalp Caddesi, the parallel vehicle road, and you will reach thedistrict around Yuksel Caddesi (Yuksel Road). This pedestrian neighborhood is a leftoriented area, with several culture centers, cafes, pubs, restaurants and bookstores.Many locals looking for quality avoids Ulus and Kizilay.

Continuing southern, the area after Kizilay and up to Kugulu Part (Swan Park) isKavaklidere, also simply known Tunali district (Tunali Hilmi Caddesi/Road runsparallel to Ataturk Blvd, and locals simply name it and around as Tunali.) The area ismore cosmopolitan, open minded, and popular among the young. The back streets arefull of cafes, restaurants, pubs to rock venues.

Walking up from Kugulu Park (Swan Park), pass to Arjantin Street and in the end, turnleft to Filistin Street. These two are where the top end cafes and restaurants are found,full of Ankara's chick and elegant going there to see and be seen. Further south, youreach Atakule Tower at Çankaya, the diplomatic center of Ankara, with the PresidentialPalace and most embassies. From Kugulu Park to up, Ankara's nicest parks are aligned,namely Segmenler Park and Botanical Garden, in addition to small but cure KuguluPark.

Rather than this alignment on Ataturk Blvd., check Bahçelievler District, west ofKizilay. 7th Road (7.Cadde) and around is a student oriented and family friendly regionwith shops, cafes and restaurants.

Further west, through Eskisehir Road, you will pass through the once suburbanneighborhoods of Bilkent, Umitkoy and Cayyolu, which are new modern towns, less ofan interest to tourists, but offers good dining and nightlife. Visit Park Caddesi, the areasnewly created nightlife center.

Getting Around

Ankara is well connected by a good public transport network system. Private andpublic bus operators compete for your patronage and there are the 'dolmus' minibustransport providers that offer rapid tranfers and get you to your connection points. Theunderground subway 'Metro' is highly efficient which runs between outer suburbs andthe interstate bus terminal 'ASTI'. Taxis are readily available and are probably the bestway to get to your destination, relatively inexpensive for the time poor traveller.

Climate

As any other part of the Anatolian highland, Ankara has continental climate. Thewinters are cold and usually snowy. Temperature is commonly below the freezing pointduring this season, but it rarely drops below -15 at nights° C. Thanks to the low levelsof relative humidity, the hot and dry summers are more comfortable than coastalregions of Turkey. Summer nights are cool, though, so be sure to bring at least acardigan with you to wear outdoors. Summer days can reach over 35 C. Spring andautumn are the wettest seasons, but with an annual rainfall amount of 415 mm (i.e., asemi-arid climate), you are unlikely to get much wet during your trip to Ankara,anyway.

Get in

By plane


3 of 17 5/18/2015 3:02 PM

Modern cityscape of Ankara,

as viewed from the path

leading to Anıtkabir

Ankara Esenboğa International Airport (ESB) islocated some 28 km northeast of the city. Internationalflights are rather low in frequency and scope - apartfrom Turkish Airlines (THY), Lufthansa, AustrianAirlines and British Airways offer direct flights totheir respective European hubs. Iran Air also has twoweekly flights to Tehran. For other carriers flying intoTurkey, a flight into Istanbul is necessary, followed byan air transfer to Ankara by Turkish Airlines orAnadolu Jet (a low cost brand of Turkish Airlines).

The brand-new airport terminal was opened in 2007.It features many more gates, a more orderly parkingsystem, and in general, better traffic flow. The roadconnecting Ankara's airport to the ring road has alsobeen fully renovated.

Airport buses are operated by Belko Air, who operatea fleet of modern coaches. The bus number is 442 andit stops at multiple locations including Aşti (whereintercity buses depart), Kızılay (the city centre) and Ulus (the historical center of thecity, close to the museums and baths). The price is 8 TL. Bus 442 runs in a loop andbuses depart frequently (roughly every 20 minutes). It is possible to take this bus fromany of its stops back to the airport. Tickets can be bought on the bus after boarding.Note that announcements are made only in Turkish and you may not find any English-speaking staff. This is the most economic way of reaching the city center, after whichyou can take a taxi. A taxi drive from the airport to the city center should cost around60 to 80 TL, depending on your destination.

By train

Being in a central location in Turkey, Ankara is also the centre of the Turkish railnetwork and can be reached from many cities. There are now high speed services toIstanbul and Konya. The new high speed train from Istanbul to Ankara takes around 3hours and 30 minutes. Services are currently leaving from Pendik station, which is asuburb on the Asian side of Istanbul reachable by bus from Kadikoy (1 hour) or taxifrom Kartal metro station (10m). The price is 70 TL.

High speed trains also run frequently during the day to Eskişehir and Konya, and bothdestinations take less than 1 and a half hours, allowing day trips from Ankara.

All trains are operated by Turkish State Railways (http://www.tcdd.gov.tr).

The train station is located north of Kızılay Square, which it is connected to by a widenumber of public buses which stop at right in front of the station. About 10 minuteswalk, on the other side of Gençlik Park, is Ulus metro station which has services to anumber of central locations in the city in addition to Kızılay.

Some popular destinations include:

City Duration Price Transfer

Istanbul (Pendik) 3:30 TL 70 (High Speed Rail)

Eskisehir 1:28 TL 20 Direct (High Speed Rail)

Konya 1:30 TL 25 Direct (High Speed Rail)

Bursa 4:00 TL 32 Eskisehir


4 of 17 5/18/2015 3:02 PM

Konya 1:45 TL 22 Direct (High Speed Rail)

Izmir 11:47 TL 27 Direct

Adana 12:24 TL 22 Direct

By bus

If you are traveling from places other than Istanbul, you will find buses fast,inexpensive, and modern.

The buses terminate at the bus station (otogar) named AŞTİ (pronounced ush-tee andalmost exclusively known as such locally; Ankara Şehirlerarası Terminal İşletmeleri)standing for "Ankara Intercity Terminal". Most of the cities in Turkey have direct busesto the capital of Turkey, and buses are much faster than trains in Turkey. From Istanbulto Ankara, the bus trip takes around 5 hours and one way fare is about 35 TL.Hundreds of companies operate buses to anywhere in Turkey. The companies withbigger ticket desks in AŞTİ are most of the time more convenient, but more expensive.

AŞTİ is connected to the Kızılay Square and a number of other central locations by ametro line. There are also free of charge shuttle buses to Kızılay (and a number of otherlocations) run by the AŞTİ administration. They depart from behind the main building.

Get around

The city has a dense public bus network, a two-line subway called Ankara Metrosu anda single line suburban railway called Ankara Banliyö Treni.

For tourists, Ankara’s public transit system, particularly the public bus network, can bedifficult to figure out, because maps are rare and all information is in Turkish. Nor isthere any access provided for disabled travellers in any form of public transport. Busesand metros tend to be very crowded during rush hours, especially on Mondays andFridays.

If you know the city well, public transportation, especially the metro, is an ideal, easy,quick and cheap way to get around particularly for longer distances. For shorterdistances taxis are an easy, quick and cheap way to get around.

By bus

There are two types of public buses in Ankara; those run by the Ankara Municipalitynamed Ankara Belediye Otobüsleri (EGO) and those run by a private corporationnamed Ankara Özel Halk Otobüsleri (ÖHO). You can differentiate these two types bytheir colors. EGO-run buses are white and blue while ÖHO-run buses are blue. Bothtypes of these public buses use the same bus network and bus stops.

Ankara Municipal Buses

The Ankara Municipal Buses, named Ankara Belediye Otobüsleri (EGO), consists ofan extensive and dense bus network, and is owned and operated by the AnkaraMunicipality.

Payment system for municipal buses is based on multi-use magnetic cards which isalso used for the metro; starting from the smallest available which is the 2-unit cardswhich cost 3.50 TL, 3-unit cards which cost 5.25 TL, 5-unit cards which cost 8.75 TL,10-unit cards which cost 17.50 TL and 20-unit cards which cost 35.00 TL [1]


5 of 17 5/18/2015 3:02 PM

(http://www.ego.gov.tr/parts/egoucretvetarifeler.asp). Transfer with the magnetic cardsis possible within a duration of 45 minutes between the bus lines and metro lines with acost of 0.59 TL . The magnetic cards cannot be purchased in buses and have to bepurchased beforehand at kiosks and metro stations.

Unfortunately, no stops and maps are displayed in the buses and bus stops norannounced by voice in the buses. However, there is a Turkish web site which can beused to plan bus trips ahead of time. The site can be partially translated using Googletranslator. The site is : [2] (http://212.175.165.45:8080/ego/index.aspx)

Ankara Non-Municipal Public Buses

The Ankara Non-Municipal Public Buses, Ankara Özel Halk Otobüsleri (ÖHO),consists of an extensive and dense bus network, operated by a private corporation.

Payment system for non-municipal buses is with cash. The ticket, which is only aone-way ticket, is purchased in buses at a cost of 2.40 TL.

Unfortunately, no stops and maps are displayed in the buses and bus stops norannounced by voice in the buses.

Dolmuş

Dolmuş are private run minibuses. They are as common as buses and run on theirspecific routes. Guven Park at Kizilay Square is the main stop of dolmuş's, running allsides of central Ankara. You can get in and out anywhere on their route, and they stopthe same way you catch a taxi with your hand. The prices range depending on yourdeparture point and destination, but typically not more than a two to three liras.

By train

Ankara Metro

The Ankara Metro, named Ankara Metrosu, consists of three (four, if you countBatıkent-OSB Törekent as a separate line) metro lines, which are called Ankaray andAnkara Metro which is owned and operated by the Ankara Municipality [3](http://web.ego.gov.tr/Filelib/Ankaray_rayli_sistem.jpg).

The west-east light-rail line named Ankaray and the north-south heavy-rail AnkaraMetro line are both mostly underground lines and intersect at Kızılaystation.Currently,it is possible to go all stations with one payment.

The Ankaray line runs between AŞTİ (Ankara Şehirlerarası Terminal İşletmesi -Ankara Intercity Bus Terminal) and Dikimevi. The line is 8.7 km long (8.0underground and 0.7 km surface railway) and has 11 stations.Except Emek station,allstations are under the ground.

The Ankara Metro consists of three lines (M1-M3). M1 Line (Kızılay-Batıkent) is 14km long and it has 12 stations.In Feb 2014,M3 line opened as an extension. M2 Line(Kızılay-Koru) has 11 stations and it's 16 km. Ironically,this line has a station namedMTA (company who runs New York Subway) M3 Line (Batıkent-OSBTörekent)opened as an extension to M2 line.To reach this line from M2,leave the train(came from Kızılay)in Batıkent and move to other track.

Payment for the subway is based on multi-use magnetic cards which is also used forthe municipal buses; starting from the smallest available which is the 2-unit cards


6 of 17 5/18/2015 3:02 PM

which cost 3.50 TL, 3-unit cards which cost 5.25 TL, 5-unit cards which cost 8.75 TL,10-unit cards which cost 17.50 TL and 20-unit cards which cost 35.00 TL [4](http://www.ego.gov.tr/parts/egoucretvetarifeler.asp). Transfer with the magnetic cardsis possible within a duration of 45 minutes between the bus lines and metro lines with acost of 0.59 TL. The magnetic cards can be purchased at kiosks and metro stations.

All stations are announced both on a display (in newer trains used in M2 and M3)andby voice in the metros.

Ankara Suburban Railway

The Ankara Suburban Railway, named Ankara Banliyö Treni, consists of a singlesuburban line running on the national rail network which is owned and operated by theTurkish State Railways.

The suburban line, runs between Sincan in the west, through the city center, to Kayaşin the east. The line is 37.0 km long (all of which is surface and elevated railway) andhas 26 stations. No points of interest for visitors in these suburban destinations.

Payment for the subway is done by cash at each train station for a one-way ticket whichcosts 1.70 TL and a return ticket which costs 3.00 TL [5] (http://www.tcdd.gov.tr/home/detail/indexa2fb.html?id=230).

By taxi

Taxis are numerous in Ankara and are recognizable by their yellow color and wordTaksi on top of the car. All licensed taxis have the letter T in their license plates.

The fare shown on the meter reads according to distance traveled. The ride will start at2.20 TL, and the rate is 1.90 TL per kilometer. The rates for day and night are same.Tipping is not done.

Occasionally, some taxi drivers will refuse to start the meter and try to negotiate a fixedprice, especially with tourists. But most taxi drivers will start taximeters at all times.You should avoid these cabs and simply take another one as you will almost certainlyend paying too much. Many taxi drivers, even though very few of them speak a foreignlanguage, will understand your requested destination and instructions. Tell them then toput the taximeter on. Taxi drivers do normally work with the taximeter, so they will notbe surprised at all when you ask them to put it on. Emphasize to the taxi driver that youwill pay for the meter price before getting in.

Always try to stop a taxi that is passing by on the road or find a legitimate taxi stop.

If you are not familiar with the city and see that you are a tourist, the taxi driver maydrive a detour in order to charge you more. Insist on going to the destination that youwant, and have a map to show them your destination, to avoid a detour.

Also beware that all taxis are required to have the designated license plate with theletter T apart from their yellow coloring.

Be careful on what notes you hand them for payment; some taxi drivers have tried topretend that the 50 lira note that was handed was just a 5 lira note. Occasionally taxidrivers may actually also rip notes you give them, and tell you it is no good, in order tomake you hand them a 50 lira note. So, make sure the notes are not ripped, and isactually the right one before you hand them over. Do not buy their quick-sell tricks andalso do not allow them to round the price up to the higher denomination.


7 of 17 5/18/2015 3:02 PM

Anıtkabir, Kemal Atatürk's

Mausoleum

Atakule Tower in Çankaya,

Ankara.

Column of Julian the Apostate

See

Ankara has several historic buildings and landmarks,mostly concentrated around Ulus. On a quick visit,one can get a taste of most important historic places ina day long trip. If you have even less time, two neverto miss places are Anitkabir and Museum ofAnatolian Civilizations. For longer stays, Ankara haslot’s to offer as the modern capital of Turkey.

Ankara Castle, Cengelhan - Rahmi Koc Museum,Museum of Anatolian Civilizations are all 5 minutesof walking distance, and very close to EthnographicMuseum, State Art and Sculpture Museum, HaciBayram Mosque, Salt Ulus, Augustus Temple andRoman Baths; all of which are located in Ulus.

Landmarks

Anıtkabir, open daily, museum open daily

except Mondays - situated on an imposing hill

in the Anittepe quarter of the city is the

mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the

founder of the Republic of Turkey, completed in

1953. The Museum of Ataturk and War of

Independence is located inside Anıtkabir,

including a large collection of Atatürk

memorabilia and paraphernalia, and a section

for the War of Independence containing

panoramic views of the war fields. Turks show

a big respect to Atatürk, and millions visit

Anıtkabir each year. Unlike the mournful visits

on 10th November, his death anniversary, Turk

turn Anıtkabir into a fairground of celebrations

on national holidays. Visiting Anıtkabir on one

of the national holidays is a great experience:

April 23 - National Sovereignty and Children's

Day; May 19 - Commemoration of Atatürk,

Youth and Sports Day, August 30 - Victory Day,

October 29 - Republic Day. The site and the

museum are free of charge. Expect a security

check at the entrance to the area.

Hacı Bayram Mosque, located next to

Augustus Temple, Haci Bayram Mosque was first built in 1427, but later on

modified to its current structure in the 17th and 18th centuries. The impressive

interior has a wooden ceiling, and Kutahya tiles. Haci Bayram's memorial tomb,

built in 1429, is next to the mosque.

Atakule Tower, Çankaya. One of the highest structures of the city, with a

shopping mall located under the tower. (Note: Atakule shopping mall itself,

where very few shops are left open, will close in autumn as it will be transformed

to a hotel.) (10 TYR from 10 till ?): In the top of the tower, there is an

observation desk, giving good views of the city. To reach Atakule, you can use


8 of 17 5/18/2015 3:02 PM

Kocatepe

any bus what have in it route this point (i.e.

Atakule) (it’s be good idea because tower

situated on the hill it cost now 1.75 TL be

EGO-card or 2 TL on monetized bus. You may

return by step via Cinnah Caddesi and continue

your path by Ataturk boulevard. It will take to

Kizilay about 40 minutes on heavy traffic, much

shorter on non-peak hours.

Ulus and Republican Ankara, the historic

Ulus on and around Ataturk Boulevard has

many buildings built during the early years of

the republic. Once the center of Ankara, the

architecture is also effected by the republican

revolutions. Observe the façades of the

buildings, which mainly show a national movement effected by the revolution,

using neo-classical Turkish symbols and in contrary to the Arabic influences of

the Ottoman period. Better examples are the State Art and Sculpture Museum

Building, Ethnography Museum Building, and historic bank buildings on Ataturk

Boulevard.

Hamamönü, is a recently restored neighborhood with Ottoman style timber

Ankara houses, and one of the most interesting parts of Ankara to visit. Located

down the hill from Ankara Castle near Ulus, Hamamonu is an entire

neighborhood of narrow streets, old houses and historic buildings. Most old

houses are now restaurants, cafes or souvenir shops. In addition to the

neighborhood itself, there are 4 historic mosques to visit: Haci Mussa Mosque,

Tacettin Sultan Mosque, Karacabey Mosque, Sarikadi Mosque. Mehmet Akif

Ersoy, the famous Turkish poet also writing the lyrics of Turkish National

Anthem, had his house here, which is now a museum named after him. His statue

is also placed in the central square. The Art Street is full of shops selling local art

crafts and souvenirs, and the Hand Crafts Market is where local women sell their

crafts and works. Hamamönü can be visited day or night, but especially in good

weather, it is more alive after dark. During the month of Ramadan, the local

municipality organizes lot's of events in Hamamönü, and the area gets

entertaining after dark, but also very crowded. Hamamönü is one of the best

places to get a feeling of what an Ottoman town was like centuries ago, and get a

sip of Turkish coffee, a breath of nargile - smoke pipes, or just gather around.

Don't expect alcohol in the restaurants in this neighborhood for conservative

Turkish taste.

Teleferik, is a newly-built cablecar starting from Yenimahalle metro station. It

has two stations and will be extended in the future. For now it is free of charge.

Museums

Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi), Gözcü

Sokak 2, Ulus (on the way to the citadel from Ulus), ☎ +90 312 324 31 60

([email protected], fax: +90 312 311 28 39), [6]

(http://www.anadolumedeniyetlerimuzesi.gov.tr/). Display of artifacts remained

from Asia Minor/Anatolian civilizations. Oldest artifacts in display date back to

Paleolithic. Selected as the European Museum of the Year in 2002, this museum

is one of the best in Turkey and it makes Ankara worthwhile to visit. The


9 of 17 5/18/2015 3:02 PM

building itself occupies two Ottoman era buildings which are very handsome.

Admission is 15 TL for adults. As of November 2012 significant parts of the

museum are closed for renovation. edit

State Art and Sculpture Museum, (near the Ethnography Museum). Hosts

galleries with temporary exhibitions as well as a permanent display of Turkish

art from late 1800s up to today.

Ankara Ethnography Museum, Talat Paşa Bulv, Ulus (opposite the Opera

House). Exhibits traditional Turkish clothes and goods.

Çengelhan Rahmi Koç Museum, [7] (http://www.rmk-museum.org.tr

/cengelhan/english/index.html). The industrial museum is established next to the

entrance of Ankara Castle in Cengelhan, an historic caravansarai. The

technological progress from 1850s onwards is on display in this museum housed

in the building. The museum contains various curios and collectibles including

model trains to model sowing machines. It also contains a good collection of

children toys and rooms hosting assorted technological collections such as

cameras, diving equipment, telephones etc). Most objects are from the private

collections of Koç family, owners of Koç Holding, one of the two largest

conglomerates of Turkey. Koç Holding's founder, Vehbi Koç, has started

business in the small shop located in the center of the building in early 20th

century. Admission is 6 TL for adults. The excellent Divan Restaurant is hosted

inside the museum.

Cer Modern. The recently-opened (Apr 2010) modern art gallery of the city, Cer

Modern is housed in the historic maintenance hangars of Turkish Railways.

Contemporary art and concerts. Check Cer Modern website for information on

events: website (http://www.cermodern.org)

War of Independence Museum (Kurtuluş Savaşı Müzesi), Ulus Square. This

originally was the building which hosted the First Turkish Grand National

Assembly, in which the War of Independence, fought in 1921-22 was directed

from, as evidenced by photographs and other items in the display. Waxworks of

former Turkish presidents are also on display.

Salt Ulus. Located in an historic building in central Ulus, Salt Ulus offers free

exhibitions. Follow them at saltonline.org (http://www.saltonline.org) for their

events. Atatürk Bulvarı 12, Ulus.

TCDD Open Air Steam Locomotive Museum. An open-air museum.

Ankara Aviation Museum, Etimesgut (near highway to Istanbul). Various

aircrafts, aviation items, missiles, and whatnot are in the exhibition, as well as a

number of MiGs from the other side of Iron Curtain. It’s museum not so large

like same museum in Istanbul, but may be a interesting too. It’s full name is

Hava Kuvveterlı Müzesi, i.e. Airforce museum. You can reach this museum by

taking shared taxi (minibus) aka dolmuş from Ulus bus station. It can be reached

in such way: on Ulus square you must find Ataturk on the horse monument. Let

stay back to monument’s face and cross the crossroad with traffic light. Straight

go down till next traffic light. On this cross road turn right and you immediately

see bus station with many blue or blue and white minibus. You must find bus

stop on Etimesgut Try to show museum name to driver. He must say “Tam” and

nod by head. Driving time on good traffic condition about 20 min (2 TYL).

Driver drop off you on pedestrian crossing, you must cross highway and


10 of 17 5/18/2015 3:02 PM

continue forward motion in your minibus direction (about 5-10 min, be aware

this way not very comfortable) while you not see anti-craft missile complex, then

turn left and near missile you are see museum entrance (red brick booth).

Entrance fee in april 2013 is 5 TYL, working time something like 9-16, but it not

true in last point. Backing to Ankara about same: you go out on highway’s

margin and hitch minibus what driving to Ulus (20 min, 2 TYL).

METU Science and Technology Museum (on Middle East Technical University

campus, on the highway to Eskişehir).

MTA Museum of Natural History, (MTA Tabiat Tarihi Müzesi)A museum on

nature, fossils, geology. Located on the highway to Eskişehir.

Archaeological Remains and Landmarks

Ankara Castle. Standing above Ulus, on a high hill overlooking Ankara, Ankara

Castle is a medieval citadel of more than a millennium old.

The best way to discover the castle is on foot. The main gate is near the clock tower.Once passing the main gate, the inner castle has several historic buildings, some ofwhich are well restored and serving as souvenir shops, cafes, restaurants and galleries.Walk further to reach the stairs taking you up the castle walls, where you will havepanoramic views of Ankara.

Ankara Castle and the buildings inside are partly restored, and the area of the innercaste closer to the main gate is the better side. If you walk further in, many of thebuildings inside the castle are worse in condition, and house the poorer residents ofAnkara. There is a wider program of restoring the castle and the surroundingneighborhoods, which is going rather slow, but changes are visible.

Outer castle is similarly interesting. On the opposite side of the main gate is Cengelhan,now hosting Rahmi Koç Museum. The old caravanserai is excellently restored, andgives a good idea of how the area was once. The narrow street running below throughthe entrance of Rahmi Koç Museum is full of shops selling antiques, Turkishsilver-works and souvenirs.

Temple of Augustus. Located next to Haci Bayram Mosque, the Temple of

Augustus was built in the first century BC. Also known as Monumentum

Ancyranum, the temple walls has the best preserved text of Res Gestae Divi

Augusti in the world.

Roman Bath. The outdoor museum is formed of the ruins of an ancient public

bath remains from the Roman Empire.

Do

In order to follow the events and performances in Ankara, online ticket sites of Biletix

(http://www.biletix.com) and Mybilet (http://www.mybilet.com) are good places to

check, and both are available in English. Most local newspapers and event websites are

in Turkish, and give a wider information about the daily events.

Ankara has annual festivals, including Ankara International Music Festival(http://www.ankarafestival.com), Ankara International Jazz Festival(http://www.ankaracazfestivali.com), Ankara International Cinema Festival(http://www.filmfestankara.org.tr/) and lot's more, and it is always good to check what's


11 of 17 5/18/2015 3:02 PM

Kuğulu Park is a public park

in the Tunalı Hilmi Caddesi,

the park is known for its

swans.

going on in the city.

Ankara Modern Arts Center (Çağdaş SanatlarMerkezi), opposite the American Embassy inKavaklıdere, at Atatürk Boulevard has freeexhibitions and performances, mostly of local andinfamous artists, but sometimes of more impressiveones.

Local and national groups play in Ankara bars andvenues especially on the weekends.

Sunny days get crowds fill Tunali Hilmi Road inKavaklidere, and 7.Cadde in Bahçelievler.

Ankara offers a good selection of cinemas both in Kızılay and Bahçelievler, as well asall shopping malls. There are several concert halls for classical music and opera. Manyuniversities promote concerts and spring festivals but these are sometimes open to theirstudents only. Folk and traditional music is very alive, from small bars and restaurantsto big concert halls where you can find local stars.

Depending on your interests, you can find trekking in local parks and in thesurroundings, visiting the museums or hunting for the Ottoman or Selçuk remains inthe ancient castle. Upscale shopping centers like Armada along the Eskisehir road alsooffer cinemas and quality restaurants.

Buy

Ankara's Castle (Kale) has been a trade center for centuries, and its sellers of carpets,leather and antiquities are slowly moving upwards hoping to attract the tourist trade.It's still a delicious place for walking and browsing, and there are family firms whereyou can buy, for a price, excellent carpets and kilims. Walking down from the Castleyou can walk through the covered market, an iron structure where you can buy verycheap and excellent products.

Ankara has the highest number of shopping mall area per population in Turkey. Mosthave the same brands, offering similar products. Open everyday, better malls arePanora at Oran, KentPark, Cepa and Armada on Eskisehir Road and Ankamall inAkkopru (next to Akkopru metro station). In addition to most international brands,there are similar quality Turkish brands. Turkey is a textile industry giant, and Turkishbrands can offer better deals for less. Some Turkish textile brand shops worth checkingare:

Expensive and Fashion: Vakko, Beymen, Sarar, Tüzin (women only), Roman (womenonly), Fabrika.

Mid-range: Kigili (men only), Boyner (Department Store).

Budget and Casual: Koton, LC Waikiki, Defacto.

Jeans: Mavijeans, Colins.

Originally a glass manufacturing firm, Pasabahce shops sell Turkish glass art-work forall budgets. They are excellent as unique Turkish souvenirs.

Tunali Hilmi Road is the most known street shopping area, but the shopping mall boomhas caused it loose some of it's charm.


12 of 17 5/18/2015 3:02 PM

For Turkish jewelry and silverwork, check Kugulu Pasaji (old-style shoppingcomplex), opposite Kugulu Park (Swan Park) in Tunali Hilmi Caddesi.

The distant historic town Beypazari has nation wide famous hand made silver-works.Best place to buy is the Jewelry Market (Kuyumcular Carcisi) in Beypazari, but if youdo not have the time to visit Beypazari, Kugulu Pasaj jewelries also shall have such artwork.

Eat

Ankara is best known with its "döner kebap". In order to pick a good döner restaurant(there are many) you should take a look at the döner round. it should be rectangular andthe cuts must be flat and separated.

Like many other capitals, Ankara is where you can eat the best and the freshest fish ofthe country all around the year (not the cheapest, though). Around Sakarya str., thereare various types of fish restaurants, from fast food to stylish ones and it can be a goodopportunity to also try rakı, which is known as a companion of fish. But fishrestaurants abound in the city; in Cankaya there are at least three excellent ones, KolyozRestaurant ( www.kolyozbalik.com) , "Akdeniz Akdeniz" and "Lazoli" featuring thefirst Mediterranean and the second Black Sea cuisine. "Ege", located close to Tunalistreet, is another excellent choice for fish and raki. The restaurant has also a variety ofwines. If you want to listen good Turkish Classical Music while you eat and drink raki,then "Sudem" should be seen. It is located on Olgunlar Street.

Besides many classic iskender kebab restaurants there are also many restaurantfeaturing the traditional cuisine of a specific city, catering to the community of moreaffluent immigrants: from the spicy Urfa to the variety of vegetables coming withAdana kebab. Uludag Kebabcisi on Denizciler Caddesi in Ulus has been around forabout sixty years and is a top of the line restorant mainly serving Iskender kebap.

Kebaps and South Anatolian cuisine. Hacı Arif Bey, on Güniz sokak 48/1, is a

well managed and delicious restaurant for savoring Gaziantep cuisine. A wealth

of options are avaliable and prices are not very high. A person can eat well for

around 30-40 TL. Also there are plenty of cheaper restaurant options in Kızılay

and Maltepe, selling fast food or kebaps, döner, lahmacun. In Cankaya, Tunali,

GOP region you may find various types of Turkish cuisine and luxurious

restaurants where prices go higher. edit

Chinese and Thai. Both Sushico and Quick China are good options for Chinese,

Japanese, Thai cookings and sushi, of course. Sushico's GOP restaurant

especially has a very good garden. Quick China's branch on the Park Avenue

"Park caddesi" is also very good, particularly for a sunday brunch. edit

Drink

"Papsi" is a good choice to take a cold beer in a friendly atmosphere for years. It islocated on Tunali Street. "Kitir" and newer "Random" are two other most popular bars,adjacent to Kugulu Park, also in Tunali. Corvus is on Bestekar Street offering RockMusic. There are many bars and places to drink on that street which is parallel toBestekar. The Edge, Twister, Hayyami (wine bar) are nice places. Sakal on KennedyStreet is a unique place with electronic, reggae or retro (offering different kinds ofmusic). On the same street Mono is pleasant place to drink. Tunus Street, parallel toBestekar is another street where you may find many pubs like Retrox, Flat, James Cookand Zodiac. If Performance Hall, Manhattan, Overall and Siyah-Beyaz are places


13 of 17 5/18/2015 3:02 PM

where you can drink and dance till 4 am with live rock music. There normally are rockcover bands and a huge crowd, especially on Friday and Saturday nights in theseplaces.

"Sakarya" is full of the cheapest solutions. Among the best places in Sakarya, oneshould note "Net", which is a good choice not only take a glass of beer or raki, but alsoto eat. "Buyuk Ekspres" is also a nice old bar of the town. Also Eski-Yeni, Pasaj andTelwe are nice bars where you may find rock or alternative live music styles withcheaper drink prices compared to Tunali, Cankaya region.

"Park Avenue" -in Konutkent district- is the new street for classy bars, cafes and nightclubs. You may also find second branch of Kitir, Random & Crossroads in "ParkAvenue". Istanbul's fashionable night club Sortie has also opened in this avenue and isa nice place to drink any kind of drinks and listen to latest club mixes. Narquilla is agreat place to have your nargile while drinking beer and enjoying nice food. Also, thereare meyhanes (tavern) in which fixed menus are served with drinks and classic Turkishmusic played. There are bars and restaurants also in the historic core of Ankara, closeto citadel. You definitely have to go and return by taxi though.

Don't expect a lively gay life of Istanbul in Ankara. No-one comes to Ankara for itsamazing gay life, however you can still enjoy your time while you are here. It has onlyone gay bar-club (Sixties) and this is open only on Wednesday, Friday and Saturdaynights. It gets pretty crowded after 00:00 and plays Turkish and Western pop music. Inaddition to that, though it is not a gay bar, Eski-Yeni Bar in Sakarya Caddesi (street)seems to attract a gay-lesbian crowd especially in its bottom floor. Kaos GL and PembeHayat, the leading queer organizations in Ankara, hold activities throughout the year.

Sleep

The Sheraton Hotel, located in the Kavaklıdere district, is the most visible and glitzyhotel in Ankara (and has the prices to prove it). Around the corner from the Sheratonlies the Hilton, which is a bit past its prime but still a very acceptable place to stay.

The Radisson (located in Ulus, near the train station), the Swissotel (located on anobscure back alley in in Çankaya) and the Ramada (in Kavaklıdere, on fashionableTunalı Hilmi street) are recent entrants, and offer very new-looking rooms that arenevertheless a tad smaller than those at the Sheraton or Hilton.

Independent hotels of note include the King Hotel (behind the Parliament, near theAmerican Embassy), and Hotel Midas and Hotel Gold (both north of Kavaklidere onTunus Caddesi).

Angora House in the Citadel district is a charming boutique hotel in an Ottoman erahouse.

In terms of budget accommodation, there is one hostel in the city center name is DeepsHostel.Prices start from 25 tl to 40 tl.Web site is www.deepshostelankara.com. Andalso a number of cheap hotels can be found along Sanayi Caddesi, just north of UlusMeydan: a double (en suite) at such hotels lists for 40-80YTL per night. Note that ratesare usually negotiable and may or may not include breakfast.

Crowne Plaza Ankara Hotel, Mevlana Bulvarı No: 2, 06330, Akköprü, [8]

(http://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/gb/en/ankara/esban/hoteldetail).

Located next door to the 300000 square meter shopping center Ankamall. edit


14 of 17 5/18/2015 3:02 PM

Mailbox Tourism (Daily Furnished Apartment Rental), Tunus street -

Kavaklidere, ☎ +90 535 714 51 96, [9] (http://www.mailboxgrup.com

/Turizm.html). all embassies ( u.s. american, france, germany and others ) very

close ( 1-15 minutes by walk ) for short term rent furnished apartments in city

center of Ankara Turkey edit

Stay safe

Most people, including single female travellers, would very rarely encounter problemswalking along the streets alone at night. Street crime is extremely rare, even late atnight. However, "little crime" does not mean "no crime", and common sense shouldstill be applied as anywhere in the world. Petty crime such as pickpocketing can occur,however, especially in crowded areas. Therefore, one should always take care of one'sbelongings and keep bags closed.

The biggest danger for travellers is the road traffic, because there is little respect forpedestrians. Every road should be crossed carefully and very quickly. Even ifpedestrian traffic lights show green, it is absolutely essential to have a watchful eye. Atcrosswalks definitely look out before crossing the street.

Another danger for pedestrians is the sidewalks because they are often in a very poorcondition. Because of the poor or irregular renovation of sidewalks, many of them haveloose paving stones and holes in the asphalt. The risk of tripping and hurting oneselfshould not be underestimated.

Ankara Police Department has a "tourism police" section with staff multilingual inEnglish, German, French, and Arabic.

Tourism Police (Turizm Polisi), Emniyet Turizm Şube Müdürlüğü, İskitler, ☎

+90 312 384-06-06, 384-08-11/6350-6353 (fax: +90 312 342-22-27). edit

Learn

Turkish

Turkish is an Ural-Altaic language, closely related to Azeri, Turkmen, Uzbek, Tatar,Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uighur and many other languages of the Turkic language family. Thegrammar is different from most European language (rather than Hungarian, Estonianand Finnish, with have related structures), making it complicated to understand at thebeginning.

Learning Turkish can open new doors, as well as the hearths of the Turks. One of themost reputable institutions for serious language learners is Ankara University’sTOMER (http://tomer.ankara.edu.tr). TOMER has it's main language schools inAnkara, and has branches in multiple cities throughout Turkey.

There are other private courses offering Turkish also. The most economic way forlonger staying expats is to find a Turkish friend, willing to exchange teaching Turkishto learning / practicing English or other languages.

Cope

Embassies


15 of 17 5/18/2015 3:02 PM

Finland, Kader Sokak. No. 44 Gaziosmanpaşa Ankara, ☎ +90-312-457 44

00 (fax: +90-312-468 0072). edit

Pakistan, Gaziosmanpaşa Mh., 06700 Ankara, ☎ +90 312 427 1410

([email protected], fax: +90 312 427 10 23). edit

Netherland, Hilal Mh.Turan Güneş Blv, Hollanda Cd 5, 06550 Ankara, ☎

+90 312 409 1800 (fax: +90 312 409 1898). edit

Denmark, Mahatma Gandhi Caddesi 74 06700 Gaziosmanpasa, Ankara, ☎

+90 312 446 6141 ([email protected]). edit

Iran, Tahran cad.no:10 kavaklidere, ☎ +90 312 4683357

([email protected], fax: +90 312 46762496). edit

Afghanistan, Cinnah Caddesi No. 88 Kavaklıdere Çankaya, ☎ +90 312

442-2523 (fax: +90 312 442-6256). edit

Austria, Atatürk Bulvarı No. 189, Kavaklıdere, Çankaya, ☎ +90 312 405 51

90 (fax: +90 312 418 94 54). edit

Brazil, Kazım Özalp Mh. İlkadım Sk. 06610 Çankaya, ☎ +90 312 448-1840

(fax: +90 312 448-1838), [10] (http://ancara.itamaraty.gov.br/pt-br/). edit

China, Gölgeli Sokak 34, Gaziosmanpaşa, ☎ +90 312 436-06-28

([email protected], fax: +90 312 446-42-48), [11] (http://tr.china-

embassy.org). edit

Egypt, Atatürk Bulvarı No. 126, Kavaklıdere, Çankaya, ☎ +90 312

426-10-26 ([email protected], fax: +90 312 427-00-99), [12]

(http://www.mfa.gov.eg/arabic/embassies/Egyptian_Embassy_Ankara/Pages

/Default.aspx). 9:00AM - 16:00PM. edit

Greece, Zia Ür-Rahman Cad. No:9-11, ☎ +90 312 448 0647

([email protected], fax: +90 312 446-3191). edit

United States of America, 110 Atatürk Bulvarı, Kavaklıdere, ☎ +90 312

455-55-55 ([email protected]), [13] (http://turkey.usembassy.gov

/contact.html). 8:30AM - 17:30PM. edit

Get out

Beypazarı to northwest is famous with its traditional houses, mineral water,

bazaar, and of course bakery which is called Beypazari Kurusu. It is a quite a lot

for a small Anatolian town which make them tourism attraction of the area. You

must spare a weekend. You will not regret it.

Gordion is one of the most important ancient cities in Turkey and is 96 km west

from Ankara in Yassihoyuk, near Polatlı off the highway to Eskişehir. The city

had been home for Hittites, Phyrigians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans since

3000 B.C. The remnants of the city are displayed in Gordion Museum and

Anatolian Civilizations Museum in Ulus.

Kızılcahamam to north is a town with many thermal springs, surrounded by

forests—a welcome retreat from the arid landscapes around Ankara.

Boğazkale to northeast is the hub for visiting ancient Hattuşaş, the capital of


16 of 17 5/18/2015 3:02 PM

Hittites.

Ankara is a reasonably convenient place to base yourself if you want to travel

around Anatolia, Cappadocia or the Black Sea coast and a growing number of

tour operators and related service industries are catering to tourists. There is

accommodation here at all levels, with prices pegged below those of Istanbul or

the south coast, and the new bus station (AŞTİ) is probably the most useful

transport hub in Turkey with services to just about anywhere that's feasible

(Lebanon is only 16 hours away, if you're feeling adventurous).

Ekodanitap, Camlihemsin (take bus or taxi to Camlihemsin), ☎ +90 464 651 77

87 ([email protected]), [14] (http://www.turkutour.com). Is a very peaceful

place to stay with excellent food and plenty of activities. edit

Routes through Ankara

Bursa ← Eskişehir ← W S → Aksaray → Adana

Istanbul ← Bolu ←

Merges with ←N S → ENDS

This is a usable article. It has information for

getting in as well as some complete entries for

restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person

could use this article, but please plunge forward

and help it grow!

Categories: Has custom banner Usable articles

This page was last modified on 7 March 2015, at 20:46.

Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various

licenses, see each image for details.


17 of 17 5/18/2015 3:02 PM

ankara, turkey - wiki travel guide

Documents

ankara castle

ankara doeshave

greatbattle of ankara

atthe modern ankara

turkish people

people ofturkey

modern city

capital city of turkey