Ankara Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
capital of Turkey
About Ankara
Until 1923, Ankara was a provincial town of less than 30,000. Then Atatürk made it the capital of the new Republic of Turkey, a deliberate shift from the Ottoman capital of Istanbul with its literally Byzantine political life. The plateau was swiftly covered by drab concrete buildings and snarled highways, leavened by parks and woodlands, and occasional striking architecture. Although it never wrested the cultural crown from Istanbul, Ankara has a rich heritage in its museums, galleries and mosques, and tourists who just transit on the way toCappadociaare missing an important chapter in the story of Turkey and Asia Minor. The city was already old when the ancient Greeks called it "the anchor", Аγκυρα, which to a sea-faring people indicated a base or home. Hattian, Hittite, Lydian, Phrygian
Top Attractions in Ankara
Explore the best things to see and do in Ankara:
- ★Ahielvan Mosque
- ★Altınköy Open Air Museum
- ★Ankara Castle
- ★Ankara Opera & Ballet
- ★Arslanhane Mosque
- ★Atatürk Forest Farm
- ★Atatürk & Independence War Museum
- ★Aviation Association Museum
Where to Eat in Ankara
Must-try local food and restaurants:
- 🍴Cafe des Cafes
- 🍴Cebeci Komagene
- 🍴Göksu Lokantası
- 🍴Hanzade Konağı
- 🍴James Cook Pub
- 🍴Kınacızade Konağı
Where to Stay in Ankara
- 🏨Ankara Gold
- 🏨Ankara HiltonSA
- 🏨Ankara Hotel
- 🏨Bihostel
- 🏨Crowne Plaza Ankara
- 🏨Deeps Hostel 2
Ankara Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 13 sections including: