Many tourists are attracted by the mysterious, exotic and moderately Europeanized Ankara. Turkey is proud of its capital, which has a long history and actively participates in the life of the country, being, in fact, its heart. Ankara is the second largest city in the country after Istanbul. 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. Ankara became the capital 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 far back as the 12th century BC, when the mysterious Hittites settled here, bringing terror to all of Asia with their chariots. Ankara has an excellent geographical location. Turkey in different eras belonged to the Lydians, Persians, Celts, Phrygians, Arabs, Byzantines, Crusaders, Mongols, Seljuks and Ottomans. The current capital at that time was a prosperous trade and political center, as it was located at the crossroads of trade routes.
In 1893, a new impetus for development receivedcity of Ankara. Turkey at that time began to build the Anatolian railway. Currently, the largest number of universities, medical institutions are concentrated in the capital, embassies and ministries are also located here. The city can be conditionally divided into Old and New Ankara. The first has largely retained its medieval look and traditions, while the second stands out for its monumental government buildings. It is much more interesting for tourists to wander around the old quarters than to see 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 also in the capital, although it is not considered a suitable city for recreation and tourism. You can visit near the citadel of Hisar, surrounded by a double wall. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that each conqueror considered it his duty to renew the structure, to introduce something new into it. It is not known exactly when the fortress was built, it is believed that it was built by the Hittites, but it received its current appearance thanks to the Byzantine emperor Michael III in the 9th century.
Ankara has also prepared a pleasant surprise for lovers of antiquity and unique archaeological finds. Turkey for many centuries was in the thick of things, belonged to different peoples, so archaeologists have found a huge number of unique and interesting finds in the country, collected in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. How can you visit a Muslim country and not visit a mosque? in Ankaranoteworthy are Aslankhan-Kamyi, Ahi-Elvan-Kamyi, Hadji-Bayram.
Local residents are very proud of Ataturk's mausoleum, where the sarcophagus of the founder of the Turkish Republic is located, thanks to which Ankara received the status of the capital. A map of Turkey will allow you to navigate 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, the Youth Park and Devlet Opera are suitable for entertainment.
