The Capital of Turkey, Ankara

Ankara is the capital city of Turkey. The city has historical, geographical and political importance for Turkish people. Since the start of the Independence War, Ankara was a commanding point of battles and the Turkish revolution. Therefore, it was no surprise when the city became the centre of this new Republic.

On December 27, 1919, Ataturk and other commanders of the Turkish Independence War came to Ankara and started to plan battles and revolutions. Back then, Ankara was a small town. The city had no agriculture or industrial value whatsoever. However, it had strategic importance for being in the middle of Anatolia. Therefore, Ankara was an excellent choice to be the centre of command.

After the Independence war is over and the Turkish Republic was founded, the first Turkish Grand National Assembly was established in Ankara. Three years later, on October 13, 1923, Ankara officially became the capital.

Ankara became the symbol of the foundation of Turkey. Many historical buildings from founding times of the Republic is present in Ankara. The first Assembly is a museum now. Also, Ataturk’s mausoleum, also known as Anitkabir is in Ankara. In Ulus district where many old buildings and museums where one can see the history of the Republic.

Ankara is an advantageous location. Before the Independence war, even before the Ottoman Empire, it was the settlement of many civilizations, including the Roman and Byzantium Empire. Ankara Castle, which was known to be present during the period of Galatians, was restored by the two empires. Therefore, the architecture of the Castle represents both of these old and empires. Then, it was taken over and restored by Seljuks, adding their own architecture to it.

The most popular civilization which settled in Ankara is the Hittites. There is a symbol at the heart of Ankara in Sihhiye. However, legends say that Ankara was founded by the famous Phrygian King Midas. He named the city Ancyra, meaning anchor. Then Hittites made the city famous and called it Ankuwa.

Starting from the Ulus district up to Ankara Castle, it is possible to see many buildings, hammams, inns and houses from many ancient civilizations and empires who lived and settled in Anatolia. Ankara has a very high cultural value, being in Anatolian history. In the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, there are countless historical artefacts representing these civilizations. The Ethnography Museum is the first museum built in Turkey. The artefacts in the museum were donated by the citizens, and there are artefacts from the Muslin era of Turkish people there.

Beyond its historical and cultural value, Ankara is known for its sumptuous cuisine, which consists of mostly foods with grains and meat. When it comes to animals, Ankara is famous for its cats and goats. There are many parks, recreational areas, crafts and such can be found in the Capital.