Information about Ankara resort in Turkey
Rating: 7,5/10 (110 votes)  AttractionsAnkara is an ancient city with an interesting destiny. Its history began even before our era, when defensive structures appeared here, protecting local residents from enemies. When this city belonged to the Romans, emperors came here along with the entire government to take a break from the sweltering heat in their summer residence. At various times, Ankara passed into the hands of the Phrygians, Persians, Celts, Byzantines, Crusaders, until, finally, the Ottomans began to own it. Now the ancient capital is quite a modern city, very popular with tourists. During the year, it is visited by about 500 thousand residents of other cities in Turkey and more than 210 thousand foreign citizens. One of the main attractions of Ankara is the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk), located in the Maltepe quarter. Mustafa Kemal is a national hero who ended the era of the Caliphate, became the founder of the Turkish Republic, began to develop literacy, began reforming the Turkish language and established equal rights and obligations of women and men before the law. When a new government appears in the country, it necessarily comes to the Mausoleum to honor the memory of the “father of the Turks”. The building is interesting both outside and inside. The mausoleum was built in the middle of the last century in the tradition of Hittite and Anatolian architecture. Inside the majestic building is the sarcophagus of Mustafa Kemal and stones from every province of the country, collected here as a sign of great respect. Tourists who want to know more about the national hero can go to the Ataturk Museum, which is located next to the Mausoleum. In the museum you can see the personal belongings of Mustafa Kemal, as well as the library. The area of the museum is adorned with the cars he once drove.  There are other memorable places in the capital connected with Mustafa Kemal. So on Ulus Square you can find a monument erected in his honor in 1928. Next to the monument is the building where the first meetings of the Mejlis - the Grand National Assembly of Turkey - were held. At the moment, this building is given to the museum. Another famous landmark - Fortress (Citadel), surrounded by a double ring of walls, tells about the history of Ankara. The city was very often under the threat of conquest, so the inhabitants had to surround themselves with reliable protection. The inner part of the wall was built in the 6th century, the outer walls appeared in the 9th century thanks to Emperor Michael II. At the same time, stones for construction were taken from the remains of ancient structures. The inner wall includes a series of towers that look picturesque together and resemble a squadron of warships. In the center of the fortress is the Ottoman Tower. Picturesque streets lead to it, seeing which, every tourist risks falling in love with the beauty of ancient Turkey. From the south gate of the Citadel there is an ancient Muslim building - Aladdin's Mosque. It is believed that a visit to this mosque is a must for every self-respecting tourist. This beautiful structure was erected in the 13th century by order of the ruler of the Rumian Sultanate Aladdin Keykubad I. The mosque has six domes and one minaret. supported by forty-two antique columns. If you go inside, you can see a mihrab (a niche indicating where Mecca is) made of marble with an ornament. In the courtyard of the building there is a mausoleum in which Sultan Aladdin and his family rest. However, the oldest mosque in Ankara is Hajibayram Mosque. It was built in the 15th century and is still functioning today. Inside the mosque there is a tomb where Saint Hadji Bairam is buried, known for his help to those in need and other good deeds. The Hajibayram Mosque is adjacent to the Temple of Augustine and Roma, built during the reign of Emperor Augustus. Here you can see Julian's Column and unique wall inscriptions. The legacy of the Romans is especially evident in the historical features of the city. For example, the old city wall contains the remains of a Roman aqueduct. Anyone can appreciate this miracle of engineering and once again be convinced of the wisdom of our ancestors. Among the mosques, it is also worth highlighting Arslanhane - a religious building located on the site of a Roman temple. This mosque is remarkable for the fact that the tekke, the ancient abode of the dervishes, has been preserved in it, and in some places beautiful blue tiles remained on the minarets. Attention is worth Museum of Ancient Anatolian Civilizations, which amazes a collection of ancient household items of the Phrygians and Hittites. The most interesting exhibits here are considered to be perfectly preserved finds from the Great Barrow in Gordion. The finds are 27 centuries old. It is also interesting to admire the Hittite sculptures and neolithic frescoes. Examining the museum, it should be noted that the building in which it is located is a former ancient bathhouse. In addition to visiting the sights, it is worth paying attention to the most popular street in Ankara - Salman street, or, as it is called here -"copper alley" ... This name appeared for a reason. There are many shops on Salman Street where you can buy various copper products: candlesticks, dishes, mugs, jugs and other products that would be nice to bring from Turkey as a souvenir and gift. Travel TipsPayment for travel in Ankara cannot be made in the transport itself, this must be done in advance at a kiosk or at a metro station. A bus and metro ticket is the same, it looks like a magnetic card and can be used for multiple trips. 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