Ankara: The capital of civilisations since Roman times

Thanks to its location in the centre of the country, Ankara has been a historical junction of major trade routes and a crossroads of migratory streams. Throughout history, Ankara has witnessed battles between powerful armies in quest of domination. The city was an important cultural, trading and arts centre in Roman times and a major trading centre on the caravan route to the east in Ottoman times. However, it had lost importance by the 19th century. When Mustafa Kemal Atatürk chose Ankara as the base from which to direct the War of Independence, it once again became an important centre. By consequence of its role in the war and its strategic position, it was declared the capital of the new Republic of Turkey on October 13, 1923. Ankara, known until that time for its rabbits, cats and goats, became the geographic, political and administrative centre of Turkey, with all the government offices and foreign embassies transferred from Istanbul. It was no longer the modest Ankara of artisans and small tradesmen, but a city hosting politicians, government officials and foreign diplomats. The first buildings to alter the skyline of Ankara were the Museums of Ethnography and of Painting and Sculpture. They no longer stand alone and today Ankara counts a number of skyscrapers, large shopping centres, five-star hotels and bank headquarters. Ankara had been used as a settlement area continuously during the Phrygian, Galatian, Roman and Byzantine periods, and Alexander the Great was one of the most famous people that the city hosted. Ulus is the first area of Ankara where you can explore the traces of different civilisations side by side. The transition from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic of Turkey was staged here, thus those who wish to familiarize themselves with Ankara should start their visit with Ulus. Considered the first stop on excursions, Ankara Citadel bears the marks of all of the civilisations that have played a role in the city's past. In the citadel the Ankara houses, some of them dating back to the 17th century, and the Alaaddin Mosque, the oldest religious building in Ankara still open to worship, can be visited. Samanpazarı locality in Ulus, along with the Citadel, caravanserais and old houses, deserves to be termed an openair museum. The locality is full of antique dealers and souvenir shops and has several caravanserais and museums. While in Samanpazarı visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, a museum considered to be one of the most notable in the world. A visit to the museum is the best way to be amazed by the splendours and riches of Anatolia's long history which goes back to the 7th millennium BC. The Temple of Augustus, Column of Julian and the Hacı Bayram Mosque are also popular sites in Ulus that you should not miss visiting. Located among the oldest settlements of Ankara, Hamamönü earned a new profile with the restoration projects that deemed it worthy of an award, and it has become a place that attracts most of the domestic and foreign tourist visits in Ankara. Also worth a mention is the Karacabey Turkish Bath, Taceddin Sultan Mosque and the Hacı Musa Mosque. Ankara's most important monument is undoubtedly the eternal resting place of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the modern Turkey. This mausoleum, built between 1944 and 1953, is a magnificent, neo-classical building appropriately designed with sombre lines and set on a vast esplanade. There is a museum housing a wax statue of Atatürk, writings, letters and items belonging to him, as well as an exhibition of photographs recording important moments in his life and in the establishment of the Republic. Visitors to Ankara have the opportunity to enjoy nature, too. Twenty-five kilometres to the south of Ankara on the Konya road is Gölbaşı Lake, a popular place for its attractive scenery and its fine lakeside restaurants. The old county of Beypazarı, built on steep slopes and valleys, is extremely picturesque with its marketplace, traditional houses and natural landscape. Century-old Beypazarı houses reflect the typical characteristics of Ottoman and traditional Turkish domestic architecture.