Things to Do in Ankara

Ankara is sometimes overlooked on travel itineraries, which is unfortunate because Turkey's capital offers more than most tourists think. Ankara is a beautiful city to visit if one of your main motivations for traveling is to learn about Turkey's enormous history. The country's premier museum and Atatürk's tomb are located here, and Ankara's citadel area provides an insight into the city's history before it was elevated to capital status.

Anıtkabir

When you first see Atatürk's splendid monument, the weight of his impact is apparent. It's difficult not to be awed by its sheer scale and majesty — it's simple yet strong. This lavish monument and memorial are especially significant to Ankara since it was Atatürk, the prominent founder and first president of the new Republic of Turkey, who chose Ankara as the country's new capital city.

Museum of Anatolian Civilizations

This museum alone should be enough motivation to include Ankara on your Turkey itinerary. It's the only spot in the nation where you can get a sense of Anatolia's preclassical human past. The most notable findings from the Neolithic village site of Çatalhöyük, near Konya, are presented in the first half, including the mural regarded by some archaeologists as the world's first town map legendary fertility goddess statue.

Ankara Citadel

The Ankara Citadel offers panoramic city views of Ankara. It is located in Ankara's Old Quarters, in the Ulus Bentderesi District. Ankara has several intriguing archaeological ruins strewn across the city, but only a few structures encircling the citadel have survived the city's voracious thirst for construction.

Ulus' Roman Remnants

The extant Roman remains from this era may be seen in Ulus' downtown section. Pay a brief visit to the meager relics of the Temple of Augustus and Rome on Haci Bayram Veli Caddesi to appreciate the significance of ancient Ankyra. Next to the Haci Bayram i-Veli Cami, just incomplete ruins of the temple's once-impressive walls remain.