The city was formally called «Ankyra» in ancient times, which meant anchor, as it was a vital anchor city of trading between the east and west, the north and the south. Today it is the developed city with a European flair in the deep East and buzzing with leisure and student life. Bureaucratic government city that is ironically also a college town home to dozens of universities.

The city of Ankara lies in the center of Anatolia on the eastern edge of the great, high Anatolian Plateau, at an altitude of 850 meters above sea level. It is the center of the province of the same name, which is a predominantly fertile wheat steppe-land with forested areas in its northeast region and agricultural lands in its south. Ankara has a continental climate; summers are hot and dry, winters are cold and snowy. It is bordered by the provinces of Cankiri and Bolu to the north, Eskisehir to the west, Konya and Aksaray to the south, and Kirikkale and Kirsehir to the east. The city is well connected to the other parts of the country by highways and railroads, there is also a big international airport. Ankara's population today is over 5 million, so that makes it second largest city in Turkey.

Getting There

By plane Ankara Esenboğa International Airport (ESB) is located some 28 km northeast of the city. International flights are rather low in frequency and scope - apart from Turkish Airlines (THY), Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and British Airways offer direct flights to their respective European hubs. Iran Air also has two weekly flights to Tehran. For other carriers flying into Turkey, a flight into Istanbul is necessary, followed by an air transfer to Ankara by Turkish Airlines or Anadolu Jet (a low cost brand of Turkish Airlines).

By train : Being in a central location in Turkey, Ankara is also the centre of the Turkish rail network and can be reached from many cities. There are now high speed services to Istanbul and Konya. The new high speed train from Istanbul to Ankara takes around 3 hours and 30 minutes. Services are currently leaving from Pendik station, which is a suburb on the Asian side of Istanbul reachable by bus from Kadikoy (1 hour) or taxi from Kartal metro station (10m). The price is 70 TL.

By train : Being in a central location in Turkey, Ankara is also the centre of the Turkish rail network and can be reached from many cities. There are now high speed services to Istanbul and Konya. The new high speed train from Istanbul to Ankara takes around 3 hours and 30 minutes. Services are currently leaving from Pendik station, which is a suburb on the Asian side of Istanbul reachable by bus from Kadikoy (1 hour) or taxi from Kartal metro station (10m). The price is 70 TL. High speed trains also run frequently during the day to Eskişehir and Konya, and both destinations take less than 1 and a half hours, allowing day trips from Ankara. All trains are operated by Turkish State Railways.

By bus if you are traveling from places other than Istanbul, you will find buses fast, inexpensive, and modern. The buses terminate at the bus station (otogar) named AŞTİ (pronounced ush-tee and almost exclusively known as such locally; Ankara Şehirlerarası Terminal İşletmeleri) standing for "Ankara Intercity Terminal". Most of the cities in Turkey have direct buses to the capital of Turkey, and buses are much faster than trains in Turkey. From Istanbul to Ankara, the bus trip takes around 5 hours and one way fare is about 35 TL. Hundreds of companies operate buses to anywhere in Turkey. The companies with bigger ticket desks in AŞTİ are most of the time more convenient, but more expensive.

Going Around Ankara

Ankara is well connected by a good public transport network system. Private and public bus operators compete for your patronage and there are the 'dolmus' minibus transport providers that offer rapid transfers and get you to your connection points. The underground subway 'Metro' is highly efficient which runs between outer suburbs and the interstate bus terminal 'ASTI'. Taxis are readily available and are probably the best way to get to your destination, relatively inexpensive for the time poor traveller.

Where to stay in Ankara

The Sheraton Hotel, located in the Kavaklıdere district, is the most visible and glitzy hotel in Ankara (and has the prices to prove it). Around the corner from the Sheraton lies the Hilton, which is a bit past its prime but still a very acceptable place to stay. The Radisson (located in Ulus, near the train station), the Swissotel (located on an obscure back alley in in Çankaya) and the Ramada (in Kavaklıdere, on fashionable Tunalı Hilmi street) are recent entrants, and offer very new-looking rooms that are nevertheless a tad smaller than those at the Sheraton or Hilton.

Independent hotels of note include the King Hotel (behind the Parliament, near the American Embassy), and Hotel Midas and Hotel Gold (both north of Kavaklidere on Tunus Caddesi).

Angora House in the Citadel district is a charming boutique hotel in an Ottoman era house.

In terms of budget accommodation, there is one hostel in the city center name is Deeps Hostel. Prices start from 25 tl to 40 tl. And also a number of cheap hotels can be found along Sanayi Caddesi, just north of Ulus Meydan: a double (en suite) at such hotels lists for 40-80YTL per night. Note that rates are usually negotiable and may or may not include breakfast.

Highlights

Ataturk Mausoleum (Anit Kabir)The Ataturk Maouselum, part of the Anıt Kabir (literally "memorial tomb"), is the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the leader of the Turkish War of Independence and the founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey. The Anit Kabir encapsulates both architectural impressiveness and historical significance, making it one of Anakara's must sees. Anit Kabir's construction spanned 9 years and commenced in 1944. It consists of four main parts - the Road of Lions, the Ceremonial Plaza, the Hall of Honor (the location of Atatürk's tomb) and the Peace Park that surrounds the monument. Inside of the ceremonial plaza you can find several museum rooms displaying memorabilia and personal artifacts of Ataturk, giving visitors a sense of the famous leader's life. The Hall of Honor is an impressively lofty structure, lined in marble and decorated with mosaics. An immense marble cenotaph stands at the northern end of the hall above the actual tomb.

Ankara Citadel (Hisar) Located atop a hill in the heart of Ankara, the Ankara Citadel, or castle, serves as one of the most recognizable symbols of Turkey's capital. Visiting the citadel is more than just seeing the impressive structure, with its 14-16 m (46-53 ft) high walls. A journey inside the citadel also provides you with a look at what ancient Turkey might have looked like. The structures within and around the castle serve as some of the oldest authentic examples of traditional Turkish architecture. Although no one know for sure exactly how old the citadel is, its foundations were thought to have been laid by Galatians nearly 3,000 years ago. Inside the citadel, many of the old houses have been restored and converted into restaurants, creating the atmosphere of an ancient Anatolian village. The local people still live as if in a traditional Turkish town. As you wander along the narrow winding streets, you'll often see women beating and sorting through skeins of wool.

Aslanhane Mosque Built in 1290, the ancient Aslanhane Mosque, also known as Aslanhane Camii or the Lion's Den Mosque, is the largest in Ankara. A must-see due to its stunning architecture and rich mosaics, Aslanhane Mosque serves as one of the oldest relics located within the Ankara Citadel, giving you a flavor for ancient Turkey. Its intricate wooden roof is supported by 24 large wood columns. Previously called Arslanhane, which translates to "The House of Lions," the mosque garnered this name because of the numerous lion statues surrounding it. To this day, the structure is still sometimes referred to as the "Lion's Den Mosque".

Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (Anadolu Medeniyetleri Muzesi) Considered to be one of Ankara's premier attractions, the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations is a must see for history buffs, or anyone interested in learning more about ancient Turkey. Housed in a restored 15th-century covered market, the museum is home to the best artifacts discovered in excavations throughout Turkey. As you move your way through the different parts of the museum, you embark on a chronological journey through Anatolia's past. The museum contains relics from different periods of Anatolian history including those from Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, Assyrian, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian, and Lydian civilizations. There are also classical Greek and Roman artifacts on display in a separate section of the museum.