Highlights
Anıtkabir
This is the mausoleum of the Turkish state founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in which the grave of İsmet İnönü has also been housed.
Atakule Tower
This 125 meter high tower in Ankara was built in 1989 as a lookout tower and equipped with a revolving restaurant. It is one of the city’s landmarks.
Kocatepe Mosque (Kocatepe Camii)
The largest mosque in Ankara was constructed between 1967 and 1987 and equipped with four minarets.
Monumentum Ancyranum
The name Monumentum Ancyranum refers to the temple of Augustus or to the inscription “Res Gestae Divi Augusti”, a text praising the deeds of the first Roman emperor Augustus.
Museum of Anatolian Civilization
In the Atpazarı area is this museum with the Turkish name Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi, which consists of the old Ottoman Mahmut Paşa Bazaar building and the Kurşunlu Han.
Ulus
This is the historic city center.
Ankara Citadel (Ankara Kalesi)
The citadel goes back to the Galatians, who built the building on a 978 meter high hill (in the north of today’s city). The rest was completed by the Romans.
Special buildings
Anıtkabir
This is the mausoleum of the Turkish state founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in which the grave of İsmet İnönü has also been housed. The monument is an important symbol of the city and the whole country. It was completed in 1953. In addition to the numerous towers, the main attractions of the tomb include the Hall of Honor, İsmet İnönü’s sarcophagus, the Peace Park and the “Anıtkabir” museum. It is interesting that the distance between Anıtkabir and the flagpoles in front of the parliament building is exactly 1923 meters, which corresponds to the year Turkey was founded according to thesciencetutor.
Atakule Tower
This 125 meter high tower in Ankara was built in 1989 as a lookout tower and equipped with a revolving restaurant. It is one of the landmarks of the city. In addition to the viewing platform, from which you can enjoy a wonderful view of the city, there are also restaurants, an arcade, a Burger King and a Pizza Hut restaurant in the tower, as well as a Shopping mall.
Augustus temple
(see Monumentum Ancyranum)
Hatti Monument
Built in the 1970s on Sıhhiye Square, this impressive monument symbolizes the gods of the Hatti and commemorates the earliest (known) civilization of Anatolia.
Monument to a sovereign future
This monument in Güven Park – near Kızılay Square – was built in 1935 and carries Ataturk’s advice to his people: “Turks! Be proud, work hard and believe in yourself.”
Monumentum Ancyranum
The name Monumentum Ancyranum refers to the temple of Augustus or to the inscription “Res Gestae Divi Augusti”, a text praising the deeds of the first Roman emperor Augustus. The temple was built between 25-20 BC, after the conquest of Central Anatolia by the Romans and the establishment of the province of Galatia, of which Ancyra was to become the capital. The temple is located on the ancient acropolis (= upper town) of Ankara and was expanded by the Romans in the 2nd century. In the 5th century it was converted into a church by the Byzantines.
Presidential Palace (Cumhurbaşkanlığı Sarayı)
The new office of the presidents of Turkey was built on the initiative of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and was as good as completed at the end of October 2014. Erdoğan has been President of Turkey since August 28, 2014.
The planned official inauguration of the palace called Ak Saray (White Palace) on October 29, 2014 was canceled due to the previous serious mining accident in Ermenek with 18 dead.
The plans for the palace with an area of around 200,000 m² come from the architect Sefik Birkiye, who was born in Ankara in 1954.
The architectural style of the building was based on the architecture of the Seljuks and was supplemented with modern construction elements. In addition to the residential complex of the President and his offices, you will find a congress center, a swimming pool, tennis courts, a wonderful botanical garden and numerous fountains.
Parts of the building are even said to be nuclear-bomb-proof.
The building with its 1,000 rooms is located on the former Ataturk Forestry Yard, which dates from the time the state was founded in 1923.
The previous presidential palace in Ankara was the rather modest Çankaya Köşkü (Pink Palace).
On November 28, 2014, President Erdoğan received Pope Francis here for a state visit.
The new palace is located on the outskirts of Ankara in the Çankaya district, Turkey’s government district.
Roman bath
This bath in the Ulus district has all the typical features of a classic Roman bath. It was built during the reign of Emperor Caracallas in the 3rd century. Nowadays only the foundation and a few passages remain.
Roman Theater
The remains of the former theater can be seen outside the citadel. They consist of the stage and the rear area. The Roman statues found here can be seen in the Museum of Anatolian Civilization.
Column of Julian (Apostate)
This 15 meter high column in the Ulus district was built in 362 to commemorate a visit by the emperor Julian.
Zafer Anıtı
The Victory Monument was built in 1927 on Zafer Square in the Sihhiye district. It shows Ataturk in uniform.
Mosques
Hacıbayram Mosque
This mosque was built in 1427 and 1428 for the poet and musician Hacı Bayram Veli. Right next to her is the mausoleum of the Hajjis. This is visited by many believers every year.
Kocatepe Mosque (Kocatepe Camii)
The largest mosque in Ankara was constructed between 1967 and 1987 and equipped with four minarets. The most striking feature of this Islamic house of worship is the large dome in the style of the classic Ottoman mosques.
Palaces, castles and villas
Ankara Citadel (Ankara Kalesi)
The citadel goes back to the Galatians, who built the building on a 978 meter high hill (in the north of today’s city). The rest was completed by the Romans. The area outside and around the citadel represents the oldest part of Ankara and contains various fine examples of traditional architecture. Many restored traditional Turkish houses within the citadel have been shined with new life and now include restaurants serving local dishes and traditional music.
Special neighborhoods and squares
Old town
The old town impresses with its narrow, winding streets. These run around a steep hill on which the citadel is enthroned.
Kızılay and Kavaklıdere (New Town)
The modern New Town extends to the south of the old town. Their new centers are Kızılay and Kavaklıdere. The most obvious features of these quarters are the wide boulevards, the countless government buildings and the foreign embassies.
Ulus
This is the historic city center. The famous museums and archaeologically interesting buildings of antiquity are here or in the immediate vicinity.
