The many faces of Ankara. Turkey - a country with a long history

Many tourists are attracted by the mysterious, exoticand 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 ranks 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. 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, but today about 2.6 million citizens live here.

Despite its small size, the town wasknown in the XII century BC, when the mysterious Hittites settled here, evoking horror with their chariots all over 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 at that time was a thriving trade and political center, since it was located at the crossroads of trade routes.

In 1893, the city received a new impulse for development.Ankara. Turkey at the time began building the Anatolian Railway. At present, the largest number of universities and medical institutions are concentrated in the capital, embassies and ministries are also located here. The city can be divided into Old and New Ankara. The first largely preserved the medieval look and traditions, but the second stands out with monumental government buildings. Tourists are much more interesting to wander through the old quarters, rather than contemplating faceless mass buildings erected by Austrian, German and Italian architects.

The political and economic center of the country isAnkara. 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 citadel of Hisar, enclosed 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 when exactly the fortress was erected, it is believed that the Hittites built it, but it received its present appearance thanks to the Byzantine Emperor Michael III in the 9th century.

Lovers of antiquities and unique archaeologicaldiscoveries also prepared a pleasant surprise Ankara. Turkey for many centuries was in the thick of things, belonged to different nations, therefore in the territory of the country, archaeologists found a huge number of unique and interesting finds collected in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. How can you visit a Muslim country and not visit a mosque? In Ankara, Aslankhan-Kamyi, Ahi-Elvan-Kamiyi, Haji-Bayram are worthy of attention.

Locals are very proud of Ataturk’s mausoleum,where is the sarcophagus of the founder of the Republic of Turkey, thanks to which Ankara received the status of the capital. Map of Turkey will allow you to navigate in the city and quickly find all places worthy of attention. In the capital, you can visit the War of Independence Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, the Youth Park and the Devlet Opera are suitable for entertainment.