Many tourists are attracted by the mysterious, exotic and moderately Europeanized Ankara. Turkey is proud of its capital, which has a long history and is actively involved in the life of the country, which is, in fact, its heart. Ankara after Istanbul is the second largest in the state. The city is located near the confluence of the Chubuk and Ankara rivers, on the outskirts of the Anatolian Plateau, at an altitude of 850 m above sea level. The capital of Ankara became only in 1923 by the decision of Ataturk, at that time the number of inhabitants was a little more than 60 thousand, today about 2.6 million citizens live here.
Despite its small size, the town was famous as early as the 12th century BC, when mysterious Hittites settled in it, inspiring horror with their chariots throughout Asia.
Ankara has an excellent geographical location
. Turkey at different times belonged to the Lydians, Persians, Celts, Phrygians, Arabs, Byzantines, Crusaders, Mongols, Seljuks and Ottomans. The current capital in those days was a thriving trade and political center, since it was located at the intersection of trade routes.
In 1893, the city of Ankara received a new impetus for development. Turkey at that time began to build the Anatolian Railway. Currently, the capital has the largest number of universities, medical institutions, and there are also embassies and ministries. The city can be divided into Old and New Ankara. The first has largely preserved its medieval appearance and traditions, while the second stands out for its monumental government buildings. Tourists are much more interested in wandering around the old quarters than seeing the faceless mass buildings erected by Austrian, German and Italian architects.
The political and economic center of the country is Ankara. Turkey has many attractive places, they are in the capital, although it is not considered a suitable city for recreation and tourism. You can visit the Hisar citadel, surrounded by a double wall. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that each conqueror considered it his duty to update the structure, to bring something new into it. It is not known exactly when the fortress was erected, it is believed that the Hittites built it, but it got its present appearance thanks to the Byzantine emperor Michael III in the 9th century.
Fans of antiquity and unique archaeological finds also prepared a pleasant surprise for Ankara. Turkey for many centuries was in the thick of things, belonged to different peoples, therefore, on the territory of the country archaeologists have found a huge number of unique and interesting finds collected in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. How can one visit a Muslim country and not visit a mosque? In Ankara, Aslanhan-Kamyi, Ahi-Elvan-Kamyi, and Hadji-Bayram are worthy of attention.
Locals are very proud of the Ataturk mausoleum, where the sarcophagus of the founder of the Republic of Turkey is located, thanks to which Ankara received the status of the capital. The map of Turkey will allow you to navigate in the city and quickly find all the places worthy of attention. In the capital, you can visit the Museum of the War of Independence, the Ethnographic Museum, and the Youth Park and Devlet Opera are suitable for entertainment.