ANKARAAnkara (Julian's Column, Roman Baths, Temple of Augustus, Citadel, Museum of Old Anatolian Civilisations, Anitkabir – Mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk, Ethnographical Museum, State Art Gallery, State Concert Hall, Kocatepe Mosque, Grand National Assembly, Atakule)
In only 80 years Ankara has grown from a small and dusty market town of 20,000 people to a vibrant city of more than three million. In 1923, Ataturk chose Ankara to be the new capital of Turkey for several reasons. Not only was it central geographically, but it was not associated in any way with the imperial powerbase of the Ottomans. In the last 80 years, Ankara has become a thriving metropolis with a lively cultural and social scene. However, it has also had a distinguished past. It was a flourishing trade and administrative centre in Roman times; it is said to have been the place where King Midas, of the golden touch, was born; more certainly, in around AD 400 Ankara was the summer capital of the Roman emperors who moved their entire administration there in order to escape the sultry summer heat.
Today, it is a residential rather than a tourist city, with its own subtle charms. Ankara is a place where you can eat out in style, go to a club, tour private art galleries or explore the varied antique shops.
Historic sightseeing is mainly around Ulus Meydani. The Julian's Column was erected in about AD 360. It seems to have had nothing to do with Emperor Julian the Apostate, after whom it is named, but it is one of the few surviving Roman columns in Anatolia outside Istanbul and evidently impressed the medieval world, for it figures in one or two Arab travellers' tales.
The Roman Baths consist mainly of brick foundations, but there are also many pillars, tombstones and other remnants of the Roman city collected here.
A short detour from Julian's Column will take you to the Haci Bayram Camii and the Temple of Augustus , which are linked by a common wall. The Temple of Augustus was built by the Emperor whose name it bears. Long after his death, his Byzantine descendants turned it into a Christian church.
The Citadel and the Museum of Old Anatolian Civilisations are side by side. The Museum which is housed in a former hamam (Bath House), this is one of the finest museums of its kind in the world. It is designed to emphasise the pre-classical civilisations of Anatolia, and contains relics and artefacts from various digs around Turkey . Its displays start in the Palaeolithic, take in Neolithic Catalhoyuk, the Assyrian traders of Kanes, and pre-Hittite Alacahoyuk, before heading for the Phrygians and Romans. There are also special collections from the Hittite, Urartian, and Late Hittite eras. Among the most fascinating items on display are the contents of the Great Tumulus at Gordium, including some very fine Phrygian woodcarvings in astonishingly good condition after 2700 years. Other things to look out for include Neolithic frescoes from Catalhoyuk, vast Hittite stone sculptures, and the emblems of the Bronze Age reindeer gods found in Alacahoyuk.
Al travellers to Ankara should visit the Anitkabir, the Mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk. Official visitors never miss it, as protocol requires that they pay their respect to the founder of modern Turkey . The first thing that a new Turkish government does upon taking office is to pay a visit to the mausoleum and write a message in its album. The Mausoleum is built in a mixture of styles, which partially recalls Hittite and ancient Anatolian architecture. Within the complex, the Anitkabir Museum contains such personal items and artefacts as Ataturk's library, uniforms and even some of his visiting cards. Vehicles used by the great man are parked outside. On the opposite side of the square is the tomb of Ataturk's deputy and comrade-in-arms, Ismet Inonu, who later became Turkey 's second President.
There are several other museums in Ankara . For Turkish handicrafts and costume, go to the Ethnographical Museum . Next door is the State Art Gallery , which is chiefly used for touring exhibitions. The State Concert Hall, close to the railway station, stages Presidential Symphony Orchestra concerts every Friday night and Saturday morning during winter months.
One of the most impressive sites in the city is the Kocatepe Mosque, on the hill southeast of Kizilay. Ankara 's biggest mosque, the shrine combines the aesthetics of 16 th century Islamic architecture and the technology of the 20 th century. The monument is a replica of Istanbul 's Blue Mosque, although it has only four minarets instead of six. Taking 20 years to build, The Kocatepe Mosque opened to public in the early 1980s. Further south, are the buildings of Turkey 's parliament – The Grand National Assembly. Anyone wishing to visit must obtain special permission from the Public Relationjs Office. Also here is the Atakule, a 125-metre tower with a shopping centre and revolving restaurant on the top floor. Since it opened in 1989, this monument has become one of Ankara 's best-known landmarks. |
