The historical center of Ankara is a rocky hill rising 150 m (500 ft) over the left bank of theAnkara River, a tributary of theSakarya River. The hill remains crowned by the ruins ofAnkara Castle. Although few of its outworks have survived, there are well-preserved examples ofRoman andOttoman architecture throughout the city.
Thegovernment is a prominent employer, but Ankara is also an important commercial and industrial city located at the center of Turkey's road and railway networks. The city gave its name to theAngora wool shorn fromAngora rabbits, the long-hairedAngora goat (the source ofmohair), and theAngora cat. The area is also known for its pears, honey andMuscat grapes. Although situated in one of the driest regions of Turkey and surrounded mostly bysteppe vegetation (except for the forested areas on the southern periphery), Ankara can be considered agreen city in terms of green areas per inhabitant, at 72 square meters (775 square feet) per head.[17] Ankara is among the top 100 science and technology clusters in the world.[18]
The orthography of the nameAnkara[19] has varied over the ages. It has been identified with theHittite cult centerAnkuwaš,[20][21] although this remains a matter of debate.[22] In classical antiquity and during the medieval period, the city was known asÁnkyra (Ἄγκυρα,lit.'anchor') inGreek andAncyra inLatin; theGalatian Celtic name was probably a similar variant. Following its annexation by theSeljuk Turks in 1073, the city became known in many European languages asAngora; it was also known inOttoman Turkish asEngürü (انگورو).[23][24] The form "Angora" is preserved in the names of breeds of many different kinds of animals, and in the names of several locations in the US (seeAngora).
The oldest settlements in and around the city center of Ankara belonged to theHatticcivilization which existed during theBronze Age and was gradually absorbed c. 2000 – 1700 BC by theIndo-EuropeanHittites. The city grew significantly in size and importance under thePhrygians starting around 1000 BC, and experienced a large expansion following the mass migration fromGordion, (the capital ofPhrygia), after an earthquake which severely damaged that city around that time. In Phrygian tradition, KingMidas was venerated as the founder of Ancyra, butPausanias mentions that the city was actually far older, which accords with present archeological knowledge.[25]
Phrygian rule was succeeded first byLydian and later byPersian rule, though the strongly Phrygian character of the peasantry remained, as evidenced by the gravestones of the much later Roman period. Persian sovereignty lasted until the Persians' defeat at the hands ofAlexander the Great who conquered the city in 333 BC. Alexander came fromGordion to Ankara and stayed in the city for a short period. After his death atBabylon in 323 BC and the subsequent division of his empire among his generals, Ankara, and its environs fell into the share ofAntigonus.
Another important expansion took place under theGreeks ofPontos who came there around 300 BC and developed the city as a trading center for the commerce of goods between theBlack Sea ports and Crimea to the north; Assyria, Cyprus, and Lebanon to the south; and Georgia, Armenia and Persia to the east.[citation needed] By that time,[citation needed] the city also took its name Ἄγκυρα (Ánkyra, meaninganchor inGreek) which, in slightly modified form, provides the modern name ofAnkara.
In 278 BC, the city, along with the rest of central Anatolia, was occupied by aCeltic group, theGalatians, who were the first to make Ankara one of their main tribal centers, the headquarters of theTectosages tribe.[26] Other centers werePessinus, today's Ballıhisar, for theTrocmi tribe, andTavium, to the east of Ankara, for theTolistobogii tribe. The city was then known asAncyra. The Celtic element was probably relatively small in numbers; a warrior aristocracy which ruled overPhrygian-speaking peasants. However, theCeltic language continued to be spoken in Galatia for many centuries. At the end of the 4th century,St. Jerome, a native of Dalmatia, observed that the language spoken around Ankara was very similar to that being spoken in the northwest of the Roman world nearTrier.
The city was subsequently passed under the control of theRoman Empire. In 25 BC, EmperorAugustus raised it to the status of apolis and made it the capital city of theRoman province ofGalatia.[27] Ankara is famous for theMonumentum Ancyranum (Temple of Augustus and Rome) which contains the official record of theActs of Augustus, known as theRes Gestae Divi Augusti, an inscription cut in marble on the walls of this temple. The ruins of Ancyra still furnish today valuablebas-reliefs, inscriptions and other architectural fragments. Two other Galatian tribal centers,Tavium nearYozgat, andPessinus (Balhisar) to the west, near Sivrihisar, continued to be reasonably important settlements in the Roman period, but it was Ancyra that grew into a grand metropolis.
An estimated 200,000 people lived in Ancyra in good times during the Roman Empire, a far greater number than was to be the case from after the fall of the Roman Empire until the early 20th century. The smallAnkara River ran through the center of the Roman town. It has now been covered and diverted, but it formed the northern boundary of the old town during the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Çankaya, the rim of the majestic hill to the south of the present city center, stood well outside the Roman city, but may have been a summer resort. In the 19th century, the remains of at least oneRoman villa or large house were still standing not far from where the Çankaya Presidential Residence stands today. To the west, the Roman city extended until the area of the Gençlik Park and Railway Station, while on the southern side of the hill, it may have extended downward as far as the site presently occupied byHacettepe University. It was thus a sizeable city by any standards and much larger than the Roman towns ofGaul orBritannia.[citation needed]
Ancyra's importance rested on the fact that it was the junction point where the roads in northern Anatolia running north–south and east–west intersected, giving it major strategic importance for Rome's eastern frontier.[27] The great imperial road running east passed through Ankara and a succession of emperors and their armies came this way. They were not the only ones to use the Roman highway network, which was equally convenient for invaders. In the second half of the 3rd century, Ancyra was invaded in rapid succession by theGoths coming from the west (who rode far into the heart ofCappadocia, taking slaves and pillaging) and later by theArabs. For about a decade, the town was one of the western outposts of one of Palmyrean empressZenobia in theSyrian Desert, who took advantage of a period of weakness and disorder in the Roman Empire to set up a short-lived state of her own.
The town was reincorporated into the Roman Empire under EmperorAurelian in 272. Thetetrarchy, a system of multiple (up to four) emperors introduced byDiocletian (284–305), seems to have engaged in a substantial program of rebuilding and of road construction from Ancyra westwards to Germe andDorylaeum (nowEskişehir).
In its heyday, Roman Ancyra was a large market and trading center but it also functioned as a major administrative capital, where a high official ruled from the city's Praetorium, a large administrative palace or office. During the 3rd century, life in Ancyra, as in other Anatolian towns, seems to have become somewhat militarized in response to the invasions and instability of the town.
TheRoman Baths of Ankara were constructed by the Roman emperorCaracalla (212–217) in honor ofAsclepios, the God of Medicine, and built around three principal rooms: thecaldarium (hot bath), thetepidarium (warm bath) and thefrigidarium (cold bath) in a typically laid-out 80-by-120-meter (260-by-390-foot) classical complex.
The city is well known during the 4th century as a center of Christian activity (see alsobelow), due to frequent imperial visits, and through the letters of the pagan scholarLibanius.[27] BishopMarcellus of Ancyra andBasil of Ancyra were active in the theological controversies of their day, and the city was the site of no fewer than three church synods in314, 358 and 375, the latter two in favor ofArianism.[27]
The city was visited by EmperorConstans I (r. 337–350) in 347 and 350,Julian (r. 361–363) during his Persian campaign in 362, and Julian's successorJovian (r. 363–364) in winter 363/364 (he entered hisconsulship while in the city). After Jovian's death soon after,Valentinian I (r. 364–375) was acclaimed emperor at Ancyra, and in the next year his brotherValens (r. 364–378) used Ancyra as his base against the usurperProcopius.[27] When the province of Galatia was divided sometime in 396/99, Ancyra remained the civil capital of Galatia I, as well as its ecclesiastical center (metropolitan see).[27] EmperorArcadius (r. 383–408) frequently used the city as his summer residence, and some information about the ecclesiastical affairs of the city during the early 5th century is found in the works ofPalladius of Galatia and Nilus of Ancyra.[27]
In 479, the rebelMarcian attacked the city, without being able to capture it.[27] In 610/11,Comentiolus, brother of EmperorPhocas (r. 602–610), launched his own unsuccessful rebellion in the city againstHeraclius (r. 610–641).[27] Ten years later, in 620 or more likely 622, it was captured by theSassanid Persians during theByzantine–Sassanid War of 602–628. Although the city returned to Byzantine hands after the end of the war, thePersian presence left traces in the city's archeology, and likely began the process of its transformation from alate antique city to a medieval fortified settlement.[27]
In 654, the city, also known in Arabic sources asQalat as-Salasil ("fortress of the chains"),[28] was captured for the first time by theArabs of theRashidun Caliphate, underMuawiyah, the future founder of theUmayyad Caliphate.[27] At about the same time, thethemes were established in Anatolia, and Ancyra became capital of theOpsician Theme, which was the largest and most important theme until it was split up under EmperorConstantine V (r. 741–775); Ancyra then became the capital of the newBucellarian Theme.[27] The city was captured at least temporarily by the Umayyad princeMaslama ibn Hisham in 739/40, the last of the Umayyads' territorial gains from the Byzantine Empire.[29] Ancyra was attacked without success byAbbasid forces in 776 and in 798/99. In 805, EmperorNikephoros I (r. 802–811) strengthened its fortifications, a fact which probably saved it from sack during thelarge-scale invasion of Anatolia by CaliphHarun al-Rashid in the next year.[27] Arab sources report that Harun and his successoral-Ma'mun (r. 813–833) took the city, but this information is later invention. In 838, however, during theAmorium campaign, the armies of Caliphal-Mu'tasim (r. 833–842) converged and met at the city; abandoned by its inhabitants, Ancara was razed to the ground, before the Arab armies went on to besiege and destroyAmorium reaching as far asSmyrna.[27] In 859, EmperorMichael III (r. 842–867) came to the city during a campaign against the Arabs, and ordered its fortifications restored.[27] In 872, the city was menaced, but not taken, by thePaulicians underChrysocheir.[27] The last Arab raid to reach the city was undertaken in 931, by the Abbasid governor ofTarsus,Thamal al-Dulafi, but the city again was not captured.[27]
Early Christian martyrs of Ancyra, about whom little is known, included Proklos and Hilarios who were natives of the otherwise unknown nearby village of Kallippi, and suffered repression under the emperorTrajan (98–117). In the 280s we hear of Philumenos, a Christian corn merchant from southern Anatolia, being captured and martyred in Ankara, and Eustathius.
As in other Roman towns, the reign ofDiocletian marked the culmination of the persecution of the Christians. In 303, Ancyra was one of the towns where the co-emperors Diocletian and his deputyGalerius launched their anti-Christian persecution. In Ancyra, their first target was the 38-year-old Bishop of the town, whose name was Clement. Clement's life describes how he was taken to Rome, then sent back, and forced to undergo many interrogations and hardship before he, and his brother, and various companions were put to death. The remains of the church ofSt. Clement can be found today in a building just off Işıklar Caddesi in the Ulus district. Quite possibly this marks the site where Clement was originally buried. Four years later, a doctor of the town named Plato and his brother Antiochus also became celebrated martyrs under Galerius.Theodotus of Ancyra is also venerated as a saint.
However, the persecution proved unsuccessful and in 314 Ancyra was the center ofan important council of theearly church;[30] its 25 disciplinary canons constitute one of the most important documents in the early history of the administration of theSacrament of Penance.[30] The synod also considered ecclesiastical policy for the reconstruction of theChristian Church after the persecutions, and in particular the treatment oflapsi—Christians who had given in to forcedpaganism (sacrifices) to avoidmartyrdom during these persecutions.[30]
Though paganism was probably tottering in Ancyra in Clement's day, it may still have been the majority religion. Twenty years later, Christianity andmonotheism had taken its place. Ancyra quickly turned into a Christian city, with a life dominated by monks and priests and theological disputes. The town council or senate gave way to the bishop as the main local figurehead. During the middle of the 4th century, Ancyra was involved in the complex theological disputes over the nature of Christ, and a form ofArianism seems to have originated there.[31]
In 362–363, Emperor Julian passed through Ancyra on his way to an ill-fated campaign against the Persians, and according to Christian sources, engaged in a persecution of various holy men.[32] The stone base for a statue, with an inscription describing Julian as "Lord of the whole world from the British Ocean to the barbarian nations", can still be seen, built into the eastern side of the inner circuit of the walls of Ankara Castle. The Column of Julian which was erected in honor of the emperor's visit to the city in 362 still stands today. In 375, Arian bishops met at Ancyra and deposed several bishops, among themSt. Gregory of Nyssa.
In the late 4th century, Ancyra became something of an imperialholiday resort. AfterConstantinople became theEast Roman capital, emperors in the 4th and 5th centuries would retire from the humid summer weather on theBosporus to the drier mountain atmosphere of Ancyra.Theodosius II (408–450) kept his court in Ancyra in the summers. Laws issued in Ancyra testify to the time they spent there.
After theBattle of Manzikert in 1071, theSeljuk Turks overran much of Anatolia. By 1073, the Turkish settlers had reached the vicinity of Ancyra, and the city was captured shortly after, at the latest by the time of the rebellion ofNikephoros Melissenos in 1081.[27] In 1101, when theCrusade underRaymond IV of Toulouse arrived, the city had been underDanishmend control for some time. The Crusaders captured the city, and handed it over to the Byzantine emperorAlexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118).[27] Byzantine rule did not last long, and the city was captured by the SeljukSultanate of Rum at some unknown point; in 1127, it returned to Danishmend control until 1143, when the Seljuks of Rum retook it.[27]
After theBattle of Köse Dağ in 1243, in which theMongols defeated the Seljuks, most of Anatolia became part of the dominion of the Mongols. Taking advantage of Seljuk decline, a semi-religious cast of craftsmen and trade people namedAhiler chose Angora as their independent city-state in 1290.Orhan, the secondBey of theOttoman Empire, captured the city in 1356.Timur defeatedBayezid I at theBattle of Ankara in 1402 and took the city, but in 1403 Angora was again under Ottoman control.
TheLevant Company maintained a factory in the town from 1639 to 1768.[24] In the 19th century, its population was estimated at 20,000 to 60,000.[23] It was sacked byEgyptians underIbrahim Pasha in 1832.[24]
From 1867 to 1922, the city served as the capital of theAngora Vilayet, which included most of ancient Galatia.
Prior toWorld War I, the town had aBritishconsulate and a population of around 28,000, roughly1⁄3 of whom were Christian.[24]
Following theOttoman defeat inWorld War I, the Ottoman capitalConstantinople (modern Istanbul) and much ofAnatolia was occupied by the Allies, who planned to share these lands betweenArmenia,France,Greece,Italy and the United Kingdom, leaving for the Turks the core piece of land in central Anatolia. In response, the leader of the Turkish nationalist movement,Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, established the headquarters of hisresistance movement in Angora in 1920. After theTurkish War of Independence was won and theTreaty of Sèvres was superseded by theTreaty of Lausanne (1923), the Turkish nationalists replaced the Ottoman Empire with theRepublic of Turkey on 29 October 1923. A few days earlier, Angora had officially replaced Constantinople as the new Turkish capital city, on 13 October 1923,[36] and Republican officials declared that the city's name is Ankara.[37]
A view of the old general directorate building ofZiraat Bank. It was designed by Istanbul-bornItalian Levantine architect Giulio Mongeri and built between 1926 and 1929.
After Ankara became the capital of the newly founded Republic of Turkey, new development divided the city into an old section, calledUlus, and a new section, calledYenişehir. Ancient buildings reflecting Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman history and narrow winding streets mark the old section. The new section, now centered onKızılay Square, has the trappings of a more modern city: wide streets, hotels, theaters, shopping malls, and high-rises.
Government offices and foreign embassies are also located in the new section. Ankara has experienced a phenomenal growth since it was made Turkey's capital in 1923, when it was "a small town of no importance".[38] In 1924, the year after the government had moved there, Ankara had about 35,000 residents. By 1927 there were 44,553 residents and by 1950 the population had grown to 286,781. After 1930, the city officially became known in Western languages as Ankara. By the late 1930s, the English name "Angora" was no longer in popular use.[39]
ThePresidential Library in Ankara is the largest library in Turkey, with a collection of over 4 million printed books[40] and over 120 million electronic editions[40] published in 134 languages.[40]
Ankara continued to grow rapidly during the latter half of the 20th century and eventually outrankedİzmir as Turkey's second-largest city, afterIstanbul. Ankara's urban population reached 4,587,558 in 2014, while the population ofAnkara Province reached 5,150,072 in 2015.[41]
Ankara has acold semi-arid climate under theKöppen climate classification (BSk), while under theTrewartha climate classification, the city is classified ashumid continental (Dc). Due to its elevation and inland location, Ankara has cold and snowy winters, and hot and dry summers. Rainfall occurs mostly during the spring and autumn. The city lies inUSDAHardiness zone 7b, and its annual average precipitation is fairly low at 414 millimeters (16 in), nevertheless precipitation can be observed throughout the year. Monthly mean temperatures range from 0.9 °C (33.6 °F) in January to 24.3 °C (75.7 °F) in July, with an annual mean of 12.6 °C (54.7 °F).[44] Ankara's overall temperature regime is very similar toNew York City.
Climate data for Ankara (Turkish State Meteorological Service Compound, Keçiören), 1991–2020, extremes 1927–2023
Ankara had a population of 75,000 in 1927. There were 74,632 male residents and 48,882 female residents in Ankara according to the 1935 census.[48] As of 2022, the population of the Ankara Province was 5,782,285.[47] When Ankara became the capital of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, it was designated as a planned city for 500,000 future inhabitants. During the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, the city grew in a planned and orderly pace. However, from the 1950s onward, the city grew much faster than envisioned, because unemployment and poverty forced people to migrate from the countryside into the city to seek a better standard of living. As a result, many illegal houses calledgecekondu were built around the city, causing the unplanned and uncontrolled urban landscape of Ankara, as not enough planned housing could be built fast enough. Although precariously built, the vast majority of them have electricity, running water and modern household amenities.
Nevertheless, many of these gecekondus have been replaced by huge public housing projects in the form oftower blocks such as Elvankent,Eryaman andGüzelkent; and also as mass housing compounds for military and civil service accommodation. Although many gecekondus still remain, they too are gradually being replaced by mass housing compounds, as empty land plots in the city of Ankara for new construction projects are becoming impossible to find.
Çorum and Yozgat, which are located in Central Anatolia and whose population is decreasing, are the provinces with the highest net migration to Ankara.[49] About one third of the Central Anatolia population of 15,608,868 people resides in Ankara.
Theliteracy rate in the whole province for people who are 15 years old or older is 98.18% according to 2020 TÜİK data. Ankara Province also has the highest percentage of tertiary education graduates in Turkey with 29.08% of the population having either an undergraduate, master's or doctor's degree.[50]
Ankara has long been a productive agricultural region in Anatolia. In the Ottoman period, Ankara was well known for producing grain, cotton, and fruits.[51]
TheCentral Anatolia Region is one of the primary locations of grape andwine production in Turkey, and Ankara is particularly famous for itsKalecik Karası andMuscat grapes; and itsKavaklıdere wine, which is produced in theKavaklıdere neighborhood within theÇankaya district of the city. Ankara is also famous for its pears. Another natural product of Ankara is its indigenous type ofhoney (Ankara Balı) which is known for its light color and is mostly produced by theAtatürk Forest Farm and Zoo in the Gazi district, and by other facilities in the Elmadağ, Çubuk and Beypazarı districts.Çubuk-1 andÇubuk-2 dams on the Çubuk Brook in Ankara were among the first dams constructed in the Turkish Republic.
A large percentage of the complicated employment in Ankara is provided by the state institutions; such as theministries, subministries, and other administrative bodies of the Turkish government. There are also many foreign citizens working as diplomats or clerks in theembassies of their respective countries.
TheElectricity, Gas, Bus General Directorate (EGO)[57] operates theAnkara Metro and other forms of public transportation. Ankara is served by asuburban rail namedBaşkentray (B1) and fiveMetro lines (A1, M1, M2, M3, M4) of the Ankara Metro with about 400,000 total daily commuters, while additional subway lines (A2 and M2a/b) are under construction. A 3.2 km (2.0 mi) longgondola lift with four stations connects the district of Şentepe to theYenimahalle metro station.[58]
The average amount of time people spend commuting on public transit in Ankara on a weekday is 71 minutes. 17% of public transit passengers, ride for more than two hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is sixteen minutes, while 28% of users wait for over twenty minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 9.9 km (6.2 mi), while 27% travel for over 12 km (7.5 mi) in a single direction.[60]
Ankara is politically a triple battleground between the ruling conservativeAK Party, the oppositionKemalist center-leftRepublican People's Party (CHP) and the nationalist far-rightMHP. Theprovince of Ankara is divided into 25 districts. Historically, the CHP's key and almost only political stronghold in Ankara lied within the central area ofÇankaya, which is the city's most populous district. While the CHP has always gained between 60 and 70% of the vote in Çankaya since 2002, political support elsewhere throughout Ankara was minimal. The high population within Çankaya, as well asYenimahalle to an extent, has allowed the CHP to take overall second place behind the AK Party in both local and general elections, with the MHP a close third, despite the fact that the MHP was politically stronger than the CHP in almost every other district. Overall, the AK Party enjoyed the most support throughout the city. The electorate of Ankara thus tended to vote in favor of the political right, far more so than the other main cities ofIstanbul andİzmir. In retrospect, the2013–14 protests against the AK Party government were particularly strong in Ankara, proving to be fatal on multiple occasions.[61]
The city suffered from a series of terrorist attacks in 2015 and 2016, most notably on10 October 2015;17 February 2016; and13 March 2016. The city was also one of the sites of thecoup attempt on 15 July 2016.
Melih Gökçek was the Metropolitan Mayor of Ankara between 1994 and 2017. Initially elected in the1994 local elections, he was re-elected in1999,2004 and2009. In the2014 local elections, Gökçek stood for a fifth term. The MHP's metropolitan mayoral candidate for the 2009 local elections,Mansur Yavaş, stood as the CHP's candidate against Gökçek in 2014. In a heavily controversial election, Gökçek was declared the winner by just 1% ahead of Yavaş amid allegations of systematic electoral fraud. With theSupreme Electoral Council and courts rejecting his appeals, Yavaş declared his intention to take the irregularities to theEuropean Court of Human Rights. Although Gökçek was inaugurated for a fifth term, most election observers believe[62] that Yavaş was the winner of the election.[63][64][65][66][67] Gökçek resigned on 28 October 2017 and was replaced by the former mayor ofSincan district,Mustafa Tuna; who was succeeded byMansur Yavaş of theCHP, the current mayor of Ankara,elected in 2019.
The foundations of theAnkara castle and citadel were laid by the Galatians on a prominentlava outcrop (39°56′28″N32°51′50″E / 39.941°N 32.864°E /39.941; 32.864), and the rest was completed by the Romans. The Byzantines and Seljuks further made restorations and additions. The area around and inside the citadel, being the oldest part of Ankara, contains many fine examples of traditional architecture. There are also recreational areas to relax. Many restored traditional Turkish houses inside the citadel area have found new life as restaurants, serving local cuisine.
The citadel was depicted in various Turkish banknotes during 1927–1952 and 1983–1989.[68]
The Augusteum,[69] now known as the Temple of Augustus and Rome, was built 25 x 20 BC following the conquest of Central Anatolia by theRoman Empire. Ancyra then formed the capital of the newprovince ofGalatia. After the death ofAugustus in AD 14, a copy of the text of theRes Gestae Divi Augusti (theMonumentum Ancyranum) was inscribed on the interior of the temple'spronaos in Latin and a Greek translation on an exterior wall of thecella. The temple on the ancient acropolis of Ancyra was enlarged in the 2nd century and converted into a church in the 5th century. It is located in the Ulus quarter of the city. It was subsequently publicized by theAustrian ambassadorOgier Ghiselin de Busbecq in the 16th century.
TheRoman Baths of Ankara have all the typical features of a classicalRoman bath complex: afrigidarium (cold room), atepidarium (warm room) and acaldarium (hot room). The baths were built during the reign of the Roman emperorCaracalla in the early 3rd century to honorAsclepios, the God of Medicine. Today, only the basement and first floors remain. It is situated in the Ulus quarter.
TheRoman Road of Ankara orCardo Maximus was found in 1995 by Turkish archeologist Cevdet Bayburtluoğlu. It is 216 meters (709 feet) long and 6.7 meters (22.0 feet) wide. Many ancient artifacts were discovered during the excavations along the road and most of them are displayed at theMuseum of Anatolian Civilizations.[70][71]
Top: Kocatepe Mosque (1987) Bottom: Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque (2013)
Kocatepe Mosque is the largest mosque in the city. Located in the Kocatepe quarter, it was constructed between 1967 and 1987 in classicalOttoman style with four minarets. Its size and prominent location have made it a landmark for the city.
Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque is located near the Presidency of Religious Affairs on theEskişehir Road. Built in the Turkish neoclassical style, it is one of the largest new mosques in the city, completed and opened in 2013. It can accommodate 6 thousand people during general prayers, and up to 30 thousand people during funeral prayers. The mosque was decorated withAnatolian Seljuk style patterns.[72]
It is the largest Ottoman mosque in Ankara and was built by the famous architect Sinan in the 16th century. The mimber (pulpit) and mihrap (prayer niche) are of white marble, and the mosque itself is of Ankara stone, an example of very fine workmanship.
This mosque, in the Ulus quarter next to theTemple of Augustus, was built in the early 15th century in Seljuk style by an unknown architect. It was subsequently restored by architectMimar Sinan in the 16th century, withKütahya tiles being added in the 18th century. The mosque was built in honor ofHacı Bayram-ı Veli, whose tomb is next to the mosque, two years before his death (1427–28).[73] The usable space inside this mosque is 437 m2 (4,704 sq ft) on the first floor and 263 m2 (2,831 sq ft) on the second floor.
It was founded in the Ulus quarter near the Ankara Citadel and was constructed by theAhi fraternity during the late 14th and early 15th centuries. The finely carved walnut mimber (pulpit) is of particular interest.[74]
The Alâeddin Mosque is the oldest mosque in Ankara. It has acarvedwalnutmimber, the inscription on which records that the mosque was completed in earlyAH 574 (which corresponds to the summer of 1178 AD) and was built by theSeljuk prince Muhiddin Mesud Şah (died 1204), theBey of Ankara, who was the son of theAnatolian Seljuk sultanKılıç Arslan II (reigned 1156–1192.)
Located at Zafer(Victory) Square (Turkish:Zafer Meydanı), themarble andbronze statue was crafted by the Italian sculptorPietro Canonica in 1927 and depicts a standing Atatürk who wears a Republic era modern military uniform, with the rankField Marshal.
TheSecurity Monument, located inGüvenpark near Kızılay Square, was erected in 1935 and bears Atatürk's advice to his people: "Turk! Be proud, work hard, and believe in yourself." (There is debate on whether or not Atatürk actually said "Use your mind"(Turkish: öğün) instead of "Be proud"(Turkish: övün))[76]
The monument was depicted on thereverse of the Turkish 5lira banknote of 1937–1952[77] and of the 1000 lira banknotes of 1939–1946.[78]
Erected in 1978 atSıhhiye Square, this impressive monument symbolizes theHatti Sun Disc (which was later adopted by theHittites) and commemorates Anatolia's earliest known civilization. The Hatti Sun Disc has been used in the previous logo of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality. It was also used in the previous logo of the Ministry of Culture & Tourism.
Suluhan is a historical Inn in Ankara. It is also called theHasanpaşa Han. It is about 400 meters (1,300 ft) southeast ofUlus Square and situated in the Hacıdoğan neighborhood. According to thevakfiye (inscription) of the building, the Ottoman erahan was commissioned by Hasan Pasha, a regionalbeylerbey, and was constructed between 1508 and 1511, during the final years of the reign of SultanBayezid II.[80]There are 102 rooms (now shops) which face the two yards.[81] In each room there is a window, a niche and a chimney.[82]
Çengelhan Rahmi M. Koç Museum is a museum of industrial technology situated inÇengel Han, an Ottoman era Inn which was completed in 1523, during the early years of the reign of SultanSuleiman the Magnificent. The exhibits include industrial/technological artifacts from the 1850s onwards. There are also sections about Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey; Vehbi Koç, Rahmi Koç's father and one of the first industrialists of Turkey, and Ankara city.
Foreign visitors to Ankara usually like to visit the old shops inÇıkrıkçılar Yokuşu (Weavers' Road) near Ulus, where myriad things ranging from traditional fabrics, hand-woven carpets and leather products can be found at bargain prices.Bakırcılar Çarşısı (Bazaar of Coppersmiths) is particularly popular, and many interesting items, not just of copper, can be found here like jewelry, carpets, costumes, antiques and embroidery. Up the hill to the castle gate, there are many shops selling a huge and fresh collection of spices,dried fruits, nuts, and other produce.
Modern shopping areas are mostly found inKızılay, or on Tunalı Hilmi Avenue, including the modern mall ofKarum (named after the ancientAssyrian merchant colonies calledKârum that were established incentralAnatolia at the beginning of the2nd millennium BC) which is located towards the end of the Avenue; and inÇankaya, the quarter with the highest elevation in the city.Atakule Tower next toAtrium Mall in Çankaya has views over Ankara and also has arevolving restaurant at the top. The symbol of theArmada Shopping Mall is ananchor, and there's a large anchor monument at its entrance, as a reference to the ancient Greek name of the city, Ἄγκυρα (Ánkyra), which means anchor. Likewise, the anchor monument is also related with the Spanish name of the mall, Armada, which meansnaval fleet.
As Ankara started expanding westward in the 1970s, several modern, suburbia-style developments, mini-cities and business districts such asSöğütözü began to rise along the western highway, also known as theEskişehir Road. TheArmada,CEPA andKentpark malls on the highway, theGalleria,Arcadium andGordion in Ümitköy, and a huge mall,Real in Bilkent Center, offer North American and European style shopping opportunities (these places can be reached through the Eskişehir Highway.) There is also the newly expandedANKAmall at the outskirts, on the Istanbul Highway, which houses most of the well-known international brands. This mall is the largest throughout the Ankara region. In 2014, a few more shopping malls were open in Ankara. They areNext Level andTaurus on the Boulevard ofMevlana (also known asKonya Road).
Ankara Opera House of the Turkish State Opera and Ballet (1933)CSO Ada Ankara serves as the Presidential Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall.
Turkish State Opera and Ballet, the national directorate of opera and ballet companies of Turkey, has its headquarters in Ankara, and serves the city with three venues:
Ankara Opera House (Opera Sahnesi, also known asBüyük Tiyatro) is the largest of the three venues for opera and ballet in Ankara.
Ankara also has a number of concert venues such asEskiyeni,IF Performance Hall,Jolly Joker,Kite,Nefes Bar, andRoute, which host the live performances and events of popular musicians.
In addition, the city is served by several private theater companies, among whichAnkara Sanat Tiyatrosu, who have their own stage in the city center, is a notable example.
Atatürk's Mausoleum is the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Turkey.
Anıtkabir is located on an imposing hill, which forms theAnıttepe quarter of the city, where the mausoleum ofMustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Turkey, stands. Completed in 1953, it is a fusion of ancient and modern architectural styles. An adjacent museum houses a wax statue of Atatürk, his writings, letters and personal items, as well as an exhibition of photographs recording important moments in his life and during the establishment of the Republic. Anıtkabir is open every day, while the adjacent museum is open every day except Mondays.
Cer Modern is the modern-arts museum of Ankara, inaugurated on 1 April 2010. It is situated in the renovated building of the historicTCDD Cer Atölyeleri, formerly a workshop of theTurkish State Railways. The museum incorporates the largest exhibition hall in Turkey. The museum holds periodic exhibitions of modern and contemporary art as well as hosting other contemporary arts events.
Both theRepublic Museum andWar of Independence Museum are located onUlus Square. They were originally the first and second Parliament building (TBMM) of the Republic of Turkey, respectively. The War of Independence was planned and directed here as recorded in various photographs and items presently on exhibition. In another display,wax figures of former presidents of the Republic of Turkey are on exhibit.
TheState Art and Sculpture Museum (Resim-Heykel Müzesi) which opened to the public in 1980[87] is close to the Ethnography Museum and houses a rich collection of Turkish art from the late 19th century to the present day. There are also galleries which host guest exhibitions.
As with all other cities of Turkey, football is the most popular sport in Ankara. The city currently has threefootball clubs competing in the second tier of Turkish football, theTFF First League:Ankaragücü,Gençlerbirliği andAnkara Keçiörengücü. Ankaragücü, founded in 1910, is the oldest club in Ankara and is associated with Ankara's military arsenal manufacturing companyMKE. They were theTurkish Cup winners in 1972 and 1981.Gençlerbirliği, founded in 1923, are known as theAnkara Gale or thePoppies because of their colors: red and black. They were the Turkish Cup winners in 1987 and 2001. Ankara Keçiörengücü also compete in this tier. They were founded in 1987, and bear purple and white colours on their home kit.Büyükşehir Belediye Ankaraspor also played in the Süper Lig until 2010, when they were expelled. The club was reconstituted in 2014 asOsmanlıspor but have since returned to their old identity asAnkaraspor. Ankaraspor currently play in theTFF Second League at the Etimesgut Belediyesi Atatürk Stadium. Gençlerbirliği's B team,Hacettepe S.K. (formerly known as Gençlerbirliği OFTAŞ) played in the Süper Lig but folded in 2023.Ankara Demirspor andEtimesgut Belediyespor also play in theTFF Second League. Ankara has a large number of minor teams, playing at regional levels, includingÇankaya FK, Altındağspor,[88]Mamak FK, Çubukspor, and Bağlumspor.
Ankara has many parks and open spaces mainly established in the early years of the Republic and well maintained and expanded thereafter. The most important of these parks are:Gençlik Parkı (houses anamusement park with a large pond for rowing), theBotanical garden, Seğmenler Park, Anayasa Park,Kuğulu Park (famous for the swans received as a gift from theChinese government),Abdi İpekçi Park,Esertepe Parkı, Güven Park (see above for the monument), Kurtuluş Park (has an ice-skating rink),Altınpark (also a prominent exposition/fair area), Harikalar Diyarı (claimed to be Biggest Park of Europe inside city borders) and Göksu Park.Dikmen Vadisi (Dikmen Valley) is a 70 hectares (170 acres) park and recreation area situated in Çankaya district.
Gençlik Park was depicted on thereverse of the Turkish 100lira banknotes of 1952–1976.[90]
Atatürk Forest Farm and Zoo (Atatürk Orman Çiftliği) is an expansive recreational farming area which houses azoo, several small agricultural farms,greenhouses, restaurants, adairy farm and a brewery. It is a pleasant place to spend a day with family, be it for having picnics, hiking, biking or simply enjoying good food and nature. There is also an exact replica of the house where Atatürk was born in 1881, inThessaloniki, Greece. Visitors to the "Çiftlik" (farm) as it is affectionately called by Ankarans, can sample such famous products of the farm such as old-fashioned beer andice cream, freshdairy products and meat rolls/kebabs made on charcoal, at a traditional restaurant (Merkez Lokantası, Central Restaurant), cafés and other establishments scattered around the farm.
Ankara is noted, within Turkey, for the multitude of universities it is home to. These include the following, several of them being among the most reputable in the country:
Angora cat with odd eyes (heterochromia), which is common among the Angoras
Ankara is home to a world-famous domesticcat breed – theTurkish Angora, calledAnkara kedisi (Ankara cat) in Turkish. Turkish Angoras are one of the ancient, naturally occurring cat breeds, having originated in Ankara and its surrounding region in central Anatolia.
They mostly have a white, silky, medium to long length coat, no undercoat and a fine bone structure. There seems to be a connection between the Angora Cats andPersians, and the Turkish Angora is also a distant cousin of theTurkish Van. Although they are known for their shimmery white coat, there are more than twenty varieties including black, blue and reddish fur. They come intabby and tabby-white, along with smoke varieties, and are in every color other than pointed, lavender, and cinnamon (all of which would indicate breeding to an outcross.)
Eyes may be blue, green, or amber, or even one blue and one amber or green. TheW gene which is responsible for the white coat and blue eye is closely related to the hearing ability, and the presence of a blue eye can indicate that the cat is deaf to the side the blue eye is located. However, a great many blue andodd-eyed white cats have normal hearing, and even deaf cats lead a very normal life if kept indoors.
Ears are pointed and large, eyes are almond shaped and the head is massive with a two plane profile. Another characteristic is the tail, which is often kept parallel to the back.
TheAngora goat (Turkish:Ankara keçisi) is a breed ofdomestic goat that originated in Ankara and its surrounding region in central Anatolia.[91]
This breed was first mentioned in the time ofMoses, roughly in 1500 BC.[92] The first Angora goats were brought to Europe byCharles V, Holy Roman Emperor, about 1554, but, like later imports, were not very successful. Angora goats were first introduced in the United States in 1849 by James P. Davis. Seven adult goats were a gift from SultanAbdülmecid I in appreciation for his services and advice on the raising of cotton.
Thefleece taken from an Angora goat is calledmohair. A single goat produces between five and eight kilograms (11 and 18pounds) of hair per year. Angoras are shorn twice a year, unlikesheep, which are shorn only once. Angoras have high nutritional requirements due to their rapid hair growth. A poor quality diet will curtail mohair development. The United States,Turkey, and South Africa are the top producers of mohair.
For a long period of time, Angora goats were bred for their white coat. In 1998, the Colored Angora Goat Breeders Association was set up to promote breeding of colored Angoras. Today, Angora goats produce white, black (deep black to greys and silver), red (the color fades significantly as the goat gets older), and brownish fiber.
Angora goats were depicted on thereverse of the Turkish 50lira banknotes of 1938–1952.[93]
TheAngora rabbit (Turkish:Ankara tavşanı) is a variety of domestic rabbit bred for its long, soft hair. The Angora is one of the oldest types of domestic rabbit, originating in Ankara and its surrounding region in central Anatolia, along with theAngora cat andAngora goat. The rabbits were popular pets with French royalty in the mid-18th century, and spread to other parts of Europe by the end of the century. They first appeared in the United States in the early 20th century. They are bred largely for their longAngora wool, which may be removed byshearing, combing, orplucking (gently pulling loose wool).
Angoras are bred mainly for their wool because it is silky and soft. They have a humorous appearance, as they oddly resemble a fur ball. Most are calm and docile but should be handled carefully. Grooming is necessary to prevent the fiber from matting and felting on the rabbit. A condition called "wool block" is common in Angora rabbits and should be treated quickly.[94] Sometimes they are shorn in the summer as the long fur can cause the rabbits to overheat.
^Ankara Province / Metropolitan municipality [25,632 km² (including lake)[1][2][3] / 24,521 km² (excluding lake) according to the Turkish Statistical Institute – TÜİK], is a province (il) of Turkey which has25 districts (ilçe) and 9 of these districts form the urban area of Ankara city (4,130.2 km² including lake).[4] Altındağ = 158.2 km² Çankaya = 454.2 km² Etimesgut = 283.2 km² Gölbaşı = 1,508.6 km² (a small area is part of the city proper)[3] Keçiören = 152.2 km² Mamak = 345.7 km² Pursaklar = 133.7 km² Sincan = 862.3 km² Yenimahalle = 232.1 km²
^İlker, Alan; Zerrin, Demirörs; Rüya, Bayar; Kerime, Karabacak (10 June 2020)."The Case Of Ankara Province (25,653.46 km²)".Ankara University (www.ankara.edu.tr). International Journal of Geography and Geography Education (IGGE), 42; pg.650–667.
^Gorny, Ronald L. "Zippalanda and Ankuwa: The Geography of Central Anatolia in the Second Millennium B.C."The Journal of the American Oriental Society. Vol. 117 (1997).
^The History of al-Tabari Vol. 33: Storm and Stress along the Northern Frontiers of the 'Abbasid Caliphate: The Caliphate of al-Mu'tasim A.D. 833-842/A.H. 218–227. SUNY Press. 2015. p. 99.ISBN9780791497210.
^Deriu, Davide. "A challenge to the West: British views of republican Ankara" (Chapter 12). In: Gharipour, Mohammad and Nilay Özlü (editors).The City in the Muslim World: Depictions by Western Travel Writers.Routledge, 5 March 2015.ISBN1317548221, 9781317548225. Start: p.279Archived 26 July 2020 at theWayback Machine. CITED: p.299Archived 4 June 2020 at theWayback Machine.
^Carol Ekarius (10 September 2008).Storey's Illustrated Breed Guide to Sheep, Goats, Cattle, and Pigs: 163 Breeds from Common to Rare. Storey Publishing. p. 150.ISBN978-1-60342-037-2.
^"Sister Cities of Ankera". Ankera, Turkey: T.C. Ankara Büyükþehir Belediyesi Baþkanlýðý.Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved13 August 2016.
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