Ankara.
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Overview

Ankara is the capital of Turkey, central within the country on the plateau of Central Anatolia. It's a sprawling modern place around an ancient citadel, and in 2022 had a population of almost 5.2 million (second in size to Istanbul), with a further 600,000 living in the wider metropolis.

Understand

Until 1923, Ankara was a provincial town of less than 30,000. Then Atatürk made it the capital of the new Republic of Turkey, a deliberate shift from the Ottoman capital of Istanbul with its literally Byzantine political life. The plateau was swiftly covered by drab concrete buildings and snarled highways, leavened by parks and woodlands, and occasional striking architecture. Although it never wrested the cultural crown from Istanbul, Ankara has a rich heritage in its museums, galleries and mosques, and tourists who just transit on the way to Cappadocia are missing an important chapter in the story of Turkey and Asia Minor.

The city was already old when the ancient Greeks called it "the anchor", Аγκυρα, which to a sea-faring people indicated a base or home. Hattian, Hittite, Lydian, Phrygian and Galatian civilisations had risen and fallen before them; Persians, Romans and Byzantines were yet to come. In 1402, Timur - the Tamburlaine of legend - stormed all the way from Kabul and won a battle that almost extinguished the Ottoman dynasty, but didn't stay to consolidate. So it was an Ottoman city and province for the next 500 years, giving the name "Angora" to long-haired cats, goats, rabbits and mohair textiles. Other European powers meddled in local affairs but concentrated on Istanbul, especially after Turkey was defeated in the First World War, and Greece was awarded much Turkish territory and tried to seize more. Atatürk rallied resistance in Ankara and the east, and the city's unconquered status made it a fitting capital.

Ankara acquired populations of government workers, university students, and incomers from the impoverished countryside. It didn't attract foreign immigration, but there's a stream of diplomatic visitors, and Ankara is more outward-looking than other Turkish cities bar Istanbul. Locals are generally friendly and helpful, and students / lecturers are keen to show off their English, but service staff such as hotel receptionists are not as widely fluent as in Western capitals.

City centre is the broad strip from Ulus south through Sıhhiye to Kızılay: - Ulus means "nation" as the republic's original parliament and other major institutions were here, grouped around the inevitable equestrian statue of Atatürk. - Sıhhiye means "sanitary works" as the Ministry of Health stands here. This district is bisected by the railway tracks, so on this page it's described as "south", with its rump north of the tracks described as Ulus. - Kızılay was named for the headquarters of the Red Crescent, the Turkish equivalent of the Red Cross, now replaced by a shopping mall. It has the Metro interchange.

Citadel is the term used here to describe the older districts east of Ulus: Hisar around the hilltop castle, and Hamamönü just south down the hill.

Further south from Kızılay are the upmarket (and uphill) districts of Kavaklıdere, Gaziosmanpaşa and Çankaya. The city's most expensive hotels and restaurants are found here, as are the embassies.

Southwest from Kızılay is Bakanlıklar (meaning government ministries), then İsmet İnönü Boulevard leads into the district of Eskişehir Yolu (referring to the former highway to Eskişehir). It's lined by university campuses and public buildings, including the National Parliament. Interminable ribbon development eventually gives way to the open steppe.

Ankara has a semi-arid, continental climate, with hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters. Most rainfall is spring, with afternoon showers and thunderstorms.

Summers are hot, regularly topping 30°C in July and August, but humidity is low. Summer nights can be chilly, especially if a breeze starts up.

Early autumn has the best climate. Nights are cold but daytimes are mild and dry, unlike the wet spring months.

Winters are cold and often snowy, though the snow is seldom heavy, and cold below -20°C is very rare - not like the mountainous east of the country with perishing cold in mid-winter.

Get in

Transport is the major shortcoming of this airport. It's 30 km north of the centre, along a congested main road; there are no plans to extend the Metro here.

Two companies operate express coaches to the airport - Ankara Air (cash only) and Havaş (cash or card). Download the Havaş app for an unreliable timetable. Both companies run from Kızılay, and Havaş also runs from the main AŞTİ terminal. The Belko Air service referenced in many online guides no longer exists.

Local public transportation EGO bus Route 442 runs from the airport (arrivals level, watch for a crowd on the very far end of the dropoff lane on the arrivals level) to Kızılay and takes 40-50 minutes to the train station. This bus is cheaper than the private options (130 tl in April 2026) but takes longer.

Wikivoyage has an article on Rail travel in Turkey Ankara is on the YHT high-speed rail network, with trains: - from Istanbul taking 4½ hours, 13 daily via Pendik (for Sabiha Gokcen airport), Gebze, Izmit, Arifiye (for Adapazarı), Eskişehir (for Bursa) and Eryaman (for west Ankara suburbs). The temporary terminus for Istanbul is Söğütlüçeşme, pending the interminable reconstruction of Haydarpaşa, but check for updates. - from Konya taking 90 min, five daily. Two per day start from Karaman, with connections from Adana and Cyprus. - from Sivas taking 2½ hours.

Other mainline trains (anahat trenler) are slow and scenic, with the emphasis on slow, but are called "Express" to compensate.

- Ankara Ekspresi departs from Istanbul Halkali station at 22:00, picking up at Söğütlüçeşme, Bostanci and Pendik plus nine other intermediate stations, reaching Ankara before 07:00. The return service has similar times, taking nine hours, and there are seats and sleepers plus a dining car.

- Izmir Mavi departs from Izmir Basmane station at 18:00 and takes 14 hrs overnight via Kütahya and Eskişehir; the return departs Ankara at 19:00.

- Destinations east of Ankara are served by overnight trains. The main services are from Kurtulan and Diyarbakir (Güney Kurtalan Ekspresi), from Kars and Erzurum (Doğu Ekspresi), and from Tatvan (Van Gölü Ekspresi), linked by dolmus or ferry to Van. Van has a train twice a week from Tehran and Tabriz in Iran.

Some of these trains have tourist versions, though all remain suspended in 2023. For instance the Turistik Doğu Ekspresi runs from Ankara to Kars with long stops for sightseeing eastbound at İliç (for Kemaliye), Erzincan and Erzurum; the westbound train makes long stops at Divriği and Bostankaya. Journey time each way is 30 hours.

For timetables and tickets, see TCDD, Turkish Republic State Railways.

Local trains (bölgesel trenler) run five times a day to Polatlı. These can't be booked.

The railway from Azerbaijan and Georgia was completed in 2017 and passenger trains have been promised ever since, but to date the line only carries freight. Trains from Syria and Iraq are all suspended indefinitely and the tracks are ruined.

Eryaman is a station in the west suburbs of Ankara where YHT trains also stop, and you can transfer to the cross-town Başkentray train. They no longer stop at Sincan (terminus of the Başkentray line) but slow trains from the west stop there not at Eryaman.

Slower services may stop at Gebze, Izmit, Adapazarı and Bolu. Many are running through to cities further east, all of which have good connections to Ankara, see individual pages.

Buses from Izmir take 8 hours and from Adana 7 hours, with hourly services. From Bursa is six hours, but the usual method is to take the bus to Eskişehir to join the YHT fast train. Similarly from Antalya you join the train at Konya.

The main bus operators are Metro Turizm, Pamukkale and Flixbus, who took over Kamil Koç. Buses are clean and comfortable, see Turkey#Get around for tips on using them and buying tickets.

Get around

The city has a dense bus network, a two-line Metro, and an east-west suburban railway called Başkentray. There is no provision by any mode of public transport for travellers with restricted mobility. EGO (or toplu taşıma) is the municipality public transportation company.

All buses are operated by EGO. Most of them are white or blue, while the newer ones are red. Central bus stops often have displays of real-time services. However, unlike in other Turkish cities, foreign cards do not reliably work, so you should buy a Başkent Kart travel card from a kiosk or metro station or download the EGO Cep'te mobile app for QR scan. The same cards are used for the Metro, and each trip permits a transfer between bus and Metro not exceeding 45 min. Note these are not the Ankarakart, a discount card for Turkish students, teachers and elderly Ankara residents - this card might be available to you if you are a foreigner studying in Turkey, but not for tourists.

Kızılay and Ulus are both hubs for privately operated minibuses and dolmuş, which usually display a list of destinations on a board behind the windscreen - if in doubt, ask the driver. Cash only.

The Metro, run by EGO the city transport operator, has three lines, which intersect at Kızılay (the station's official name is 15 Temmuz Millî Irade Kızılay) Remarkably, EGO have contrived to muddle their numbering. M1, M2 and M3 do not operate as separate lines - you can stay on the same train all the way from Koru to OSB-Törekent - only if you want to get the M4 do you need to change at Kızılay.

Ankara Metro main line (M1, M2, M3) runs from the northwest suburbs of Sincan, Törekent and Eryaman to city centre (Ulus, Kızılay and Sıhhiye) then southwest to Çayyolu. Another line (M4) runs north from Kızılay to Keçiören.

Ankaray is styled differently yet is part of the same network. It runs east-west from Dikimevi via Kızılay to AŞTİ bus station.

Tickets are identical to the EGO buses and valid for transfer, see above for prices, and you buy them at kiosks or metro stations. The Başkent Kart can also be used. Contactless payment is also possible, but not always reliable, presumably due to the poor internet connection at underground stations.

All stations are announced both on a (really cool) analogue display and by voice in the metros.

Başkentray is the suburban line, transecting the city between Sincan and Eryaman in the west, through city centre and the main railway station, to Kayaş in the east. Trains run every 10 minutes from 07:00 to 21:00, then every 30 min to 23:00.

The line is shown in blue on transport maps and may be marked as B1. It's 37 km long, all above ground, and has 24 stations. There's nothing of visitor interest near the outlying stations, but to the west Eryaman is an interchange with YHT trains to Konya, Eskişehir and Istanbul, and Sincan is an interchange with other mainline trains. Kayaş to the east is also a mainline interchange, but not for YHT.

The system is owned and operated by TCDD Turkish State Railways, and until 2016 the same track carried mainline trains. That was incompatible with YHT and expansion of the suburban service so in 2016 the system closed for a couple of years while Ankara station was rebuilt and new tracks were laid parallel. It's planned to extend it northwest to Yenikent and Akçaören.

Once again, you can pay by Başkent Kart.

By taxi Taxis are numerous: they are yellow, have the sign Taksi on top of the car, and the letter T in their license plates. Have nothing to do with unlicensed drivers. Tipping is not usual but you round up to the next TL.

See

Castle and its neighbor Hamamönü is home to Ottoman architecture.

Ankara Castle. This volcanic outcrop has probably been fortified since the dawn of mankind, but the earliest traces are from the Phrygians of 8th century BC. The castle was reinforced by the Galatians then the Romans. You stroll up through cobbled streets to the double walls and can climb one of the towers, with views of the sprawling city and distant mountains.

North Tower is another bastion of the citadel, 200 m north of the castle. You're aiming for the fluttering Turkish flag.

Sultan Alaeddin Mosque. This is the city's oldest mosque, built in AH 574 (1178 AD) according to the inscription on its walnut mimber, but much modified since.

Turk-Russian Friendship House (Türk-Rus Dostluk Evi) is a bright modern art gallery at Kale Kapısı Sk 20 below the castle, open daily 10:00-17:00. It has three floors, with Belarusian and Ukrainian sections too. There is a gift shop selling Russian and English books and DVDs very cheaply. There is an entrance fee of about 20 tl, but if the man at the door doesn't understand you he tends to let you in for free.

Roman Theatre. Scrappy remains of the stage and backstage, they haven't restored the seating. Statues from the site are in the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations.

Arslanhane Mosque. Built in 1290 in Seljuk style, and repaired in 1330 under Ahi Şerafeddin hence its other name. Well worth the hike up the hill for its finely-carved interior, notably the ceiling supported by a forest of wooden columns. In 2023, five wooden mosques in Central Anatolia were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List - Aslanhane was one of them.

Ahielvan Mosque. Built in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, it has a richly carved walnut mimber or pulpit.

Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. Excellent display ranging from prehistory to the proto-Greek and Roman eras.

Kelime Museum. Small private art museum. Signage is only in Turkish.

Koç Museum. Rahmi M. Koç is a member of the wealthy Koç family in Turkey. This museum, a smaller version of the one in Istanbul, is crowded with exhibits on transport, communication and science since the 1850s. It's housed in Çengel Han, a caravanserai built in 1523.

Chess Museum. More chess sets ancient and modern than you'd think possible, including weird versions such as the three-sided game.

Molla Great Mosque. A modest building in spite of the name, this was built around 1500.

Cenâbî Ahmet Paşa Mosque. Built by the famous architect Sinan in 1566, it's in finely-crafted Ankara stone. The mimber (pulpit) and mihrap (prayer niche) are of white marble.

Ulucanlar Prison Museum. This bleak place was built as a barracks then converted to a prison in 1925. It held almost 800, in a mix of semi-open and maximum security wings. It was a brutal instrument of political repression, with its inmates a long roll-call of literati and activists, torture was common, and 19 were hanged in the prison yard mostly for being Marxist. There was a series of riots in 1999. It closed in 2006 and was converted into a museum in 2011.

Erimtan Archaeology and Art Museum - is an archaeology museum and music venue. Kahve Müzesi - advertised by signs all over the tourist citadel. Where it actually is is not clear.

Essentially 'the old city', sometimes that also includes the Citadel. For traveller purposes it's worth distinguishing the more modern district close to Ulus Metro Station, extending south to the mainline railway station and tracks. Its south end merges into Sıhhiye district. (Zafer Anıtı) in Ulus Square is the focus of the district, a marble and bronze monument with Atatürk on horseback. Since it was erected in 1927 a year before the "alphabet reform", it's one of the few republican monuments inscribed in Ottoman Turkish, using Arabic script.

Museum of the War of Independence. This was the first site of the Turkish Republican Parliament, from 1920 to 1924. The 1921-22 War of Independence was directed from here, and there are photos and other memorabilia. Later the building housed various government functions until becoming a museum in 1981. Signage is only in Turkish.

Cardo Maximus is a stretch of Roman road 216 m long by 7 m wide, coursing north from Anafartlar Cd towards the Column of Julianus. It was discovered in 1995: its artefacts have been taken to the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations.

(Julian Sütunu, Belkıs Minaresi) is a 15 m column in the square behind the İş Bankası building. It was erected in 362 CE to commemorate the visit of Emperor Julian (331-363 AD), who stopped off in town while marching against Persia. He rejected Christianity and revived earlier pagan rites, so by Christians he was derided as "Julian the Apostate". His campaign in Persia started well then was a debacle and he was fatally wounded; his successor Jovian reinstated Christianity so Julianus was the last pagan emperor. His story is retold, with many artistic liberties, in the 1964 novel Julian by Gore Vidal.

Hacı Bayram Mosque. This was built in 1428, restored by Mimar Sinan in the 16th century, and with Kütahya tiles added in the 18th. Hacı Bayram Veli (1352–1430) was a poet and Sufi teacher, and his ornate tomb is a pilgrimage site.

Temple of Augustus. The Romans conquered Anatolia in the Mithridatic Wars of 88-63 BC, and created the province of Galatea with Ancyra as its capital. From 25 BC they built over what had been a Phyrigian temple to make an "Augusteum" for the worship of their emperor Octavian or Augustus (an outstanding ruler, a contrast to his successor, the dark and dissipated Tiberius). In the 5th century it was converted into a church by the Byzantines. Only the side walls and ornate doorway remain.

Roman Baths. Ruins of a large Roman bath complex, built under Emperor Caracalla circa 200 AD and in use for 500 years. They follow the classical design of frigidarium (cold room), tepidarium (warm room) and caldarium (hot room), and their relative sizes show that Ancyra had winters as chilly then as now - those coins that fixed the dates were obviously not paid out to get even colder.

Aviation Association Museum. Small collection of aircraft around a parachute training tower (only 41 m, so don't expect much freefall time), and a small indoor collection. Not to be confused with the military aviation museum west edge of the city.

Korean War Memorial just west of the Aviation Museum commemorates the Turkish Brigade, which fought under UN command in the Korean War. Their biggest engagement was the series of battles at Kunu-ri in late 1950. Some 15,000 rotated through the Brigade, with 721 killed in action, 2111 wounded and 168 missing.

PTT Post Museum. Display of stamps and other postal memorabilia.

Vakif Museum. Crowded collection of antique Turkish carpets, candle holders and Korans, watches, woodworks, tiles and other crafts. The 1927 building used to be a law school.

Melike Hatun Mosque next to Vakif Museum was built in 2017 but in traditional Ottoman style. Gençlik Park stretches east from the railway station to Hatun Mosque. It has a large ornamental lake and is sometimes a venue for open-air events.

Cermodern. Contemporary art museum in the former power plant for Turkish Railways.

Painting and Sculpture Museum. Built from 1927, this hosts a permanent display of Turkish art from late 1800s to present day, plus temporary exhibitions.

Ethnography Museum. Huge array of Turkic art covering painting, porcelain, woodwork, clothing, carpets, metalwork and weaponry. It was built 1925-28 and from 1938 to 1953 housed the sarcophagus of Atatürk, pending completion of his mausoleum of Anıtkabir.

Hacettepe Art Museum. Extensive display of Turkish painters and artists from the early days of the Republic until present times.

Mehmet Akif Ersoy Home Museum. Ersoy (1873-1936) trained as a vet but became politicised in the dying days of the Ottoman Empire. He's best known for composing the Turkish national anthem. This museum reconstructs his stay here.

Most sights are in Sıhhiye beyond the railway tracks or a couple of km further in Kızılay. is an extensive hilltop site centred on the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), founder of the Republic of Turkey. He died at Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul and lay for 15 years at what is now the Ankara Ethnographic Museum before transferring here in 1953. It's a 20th century Giza, a pharaonic collection of tombs, monuments and museums in Art Deco style, with individual opening hours. The site is free to enter 24 hours, walk south up the parkland avenue from Tandoğan / Anadolu. The last section is the 262 m "Road of Lions", flanked by statues of lions representing the ancient Turkic tribes. (The gaps between paving stones imbue visitors with a suitably reverent attitude, apparently.) This concludes in the Ceremonial Plaza, where the coloured flagstone patterns are those of traditional rugs and kilims. Expect military pageantry and flag-waving here on all state occasions. Hall of Honor holds the tomb. What you see is the symbolic ground-level sarcophagus. Atatürk lies 7 m below in an ornate but private Tomb Room, where he mingles with soil from all the Turkish regions of his day, including from Salonica his birthplace now in Greece, parts of Hatay now in Syria, and northern Cyprus.

Atatürk & Independence War Museum. This is beneath the Hall of Honor and displays belongings and memorabilia of Atatürk, the 1915 battles of Gallipoli / Çanakkale and the 1920/21 War of Independence, and the postwar overthrow of the Ottomans and proclamation of the republic.

Mausoleum of İsmet İnönü (1884-1973) is southwest side of the Ceremonial Plaza. He was Atatürk's right-hand man, the country's second president and had three spells as Prime Minister, embedding the Republic's modernisations. The tomb is small at ground level but below is an exhibition hall - this is only open for one week from Oct 29 Republic Day and for two weeks from Dec 25 the anniversary of his death. Ten towers line Ceremonial Plaza, but they're set within the colonnade and don't stand tall. Their low pitched roofs are meant to symbolise Turkic tents, and they contain various statues and inscriptions of an uplifting patriotic nature. For example the tower west side of the Hall of Honor depicts the opening of the Turkish Grand National Assembly on 23 April 1920, and holds Atatürk's Cadillac. So it's called 23 Nisan Kulesi but he didn't own 23 Nissans.

is the twee structure on Atatürk Blv as it enters Sıhhiye beneath the railway tracks. Its deer, two oxen and sun disc are supposed to commemorate Anatolian Hittite culture - a powerful realm from 18th to 12th century BC then gobbled up by Egyptian and Assyrian rivals. If you were disappointed at Anitkabir by not finding 23 Nissans, they're right here nose-to-tail in the traffic snarl. Abdi Ipekci Park is just east of Sıhhiye station and the Hittite statue. (Güvenlik Anıtı) is the sinister focus of Güven Park just outside Kızılay. "Turk! Be proud, work hard, and believe in yourself" is Atatürk's sage advice to his people, above which two gun-toting thugs pose, the "or else!" of the police and army. It was erected in 1935.

Kocatepe Mosque. This had been in the planning since 1944, but attempts at a modern style were thwarted by the conservatives. So what was built from 1967 to 1987 is a neoclassical Ottoman structure.

Çankaya Mansion. Atatürk took a liking to this countryside mansion, which was rebuilt to become the presidential home after the capital moved to Ankara. The mansion became centrepiece of a large government campus, so "Çankaya" meant the presidency similar to "White House", "Kremlin" or "Downing Street". In 2018 the president's residence was moved 10 km north to the humongous (and off-limits) Ak Palace, but the vice-president's residence and several government offices remain here. It used to be possible to arrange guided tours of the mansion and other buildings, but these are no longer available.

is an oh-so-Seventies telecoms tower, 125 m high, with a rotating observation deck and restaurant. However it's closed as the shopping mall at its foot is demolished, and in 2023 it's not known when it might re-open. Botanical Park is the large green space north of the tower, bounded by Cinnah Cd west and Çankaya Cd east. It's free 24 hours.

METU Science and Technology Museum. Large museum of science and technology. Has a particularly good collection of military aircraft, and a large steam locomotive. However, not accessible to the general public usually - you have to have an invitation to the METU campus or TEKNOKENT to pass security.

This covers all other districts out to the ring road O-20 some 20 km out. (200 m north of Akköprü) means "white bridge" though it's rosy basalt. With seven arches, it was built from 1222 to carry the main highway across the Çubuk River. Modern traffic rushes past on Fatih Sultan Mehmet Blv: this may be your best viewpoint, as in 2020 the bridge was barricaded off as a construction site.

Atatürk Forest Farm. Extensive model farm established by Atatürk, to prove that the dusty steppes around Ankara could be converted into good farmland. (His successors preferred to cover everything with concrete.) The barn has been turned into a museum of farming methods.

Turkish Air Force Museum. A collection of two dozen military aircraft.

Altınköy Open Air Museum. A reconstruction of 1930s-50s Anatolian village life, with buildings relocated from rural Western Karadeniz and demonstrations of crafts. The suspension bridge is a catchpenny extra.

is a 5 km long recreational lake south side of the town of Gölbaşı, 20 km south of city centre. It has camping areas, coarse fishing, picnic spots and walking trails. In 2023 you pay 5 TL per car.

Tulumtas Cave. A prehistoric cave, extensively decorated, discovered during construction of the ring road.

Golden Pavilion Museum. Eccentric reproduction of an Ottoman-style wooden mansion, built by a local businessman during the 1960s. Now open to the public as a museum, with a decent cafe inside. A particular highlight is the signed photos of George H.W. Bush and Margaret Thatcher.

Do

Ankara Opera & Ballet. This opened in 1948 and looks it, the grandeur is kinda faded. It hosts theatre as well as opera and ballet.

Goksu Park. Ranged around Susuz Lake, with an island restaurant, cafes and funfair.

Ankara International Music Festival is in April. Bilkent Mayfest is organised by Billkent University . Burn Sonance Festival of music is next held June. Jazz Festival is in Oct / Nov. Ankara Film Festival is next held on Nov. Şefika Kutluer Festival of music is in December.

Football: MKE Ankaragücü were relegated in 2024 and again in 2025 so they play soccer in TFF Second League, the third tier. Their home ground Eryaman Stadium (capacity 20,560) is in the western suburbs, take the Metro to Devlet Mahallesi. MKE, since you were wondering, stands for Machinery and Chemical Industry. They will be returning to their homecourt of 19 May Stadium, starting from the 2026-27 season. - Gençlerbirliği SK share Eryaman Stadium. They were promoted in 2025 to Süper Lig, the top tier. - Ankara Keçiörengücü SK play in First League. Their home ground is Aktepe Stadium (capacity 5000) 8 km north of city centre on Adnan Kahveci Cd. - Ankaraspor were known as Osmanlıspor from 2014 to 2020 but have re-adopted their former name. They play in Second League at Osmanlı (Yenikent) Stadium, capacity 18,000, west edge of the city. Take the Ankaray train to its west terminus at Sincan then a local bus onward to Yenikent. Basketball: Türk Telekom BK plays in Turkish Basketball Super League and the EuroCup. Their homecourt is the Ankara Arena. Golf: courses and ranges within the city remain closed in 2023. Regnum Golf Country Club is 50 km southwest near Halaçlı village. Running: Annual Runkara International Half Marathon.

Learn

Ankara hosts some universities that are internationally high-ranking as well as having large campuses, such as Bilkent, Hacettepe and ODTÜ / METU.

One could also attend to hobby or vocational courses provided by the metropolitan municipality's Halk Eğitim Merkezi.

Buy

Useful to know: AVM stands for Alışveriş Merkezi, shopping centre. Citadel approaches up Kale Kapısı Sk have been a merchandising area for centuries. There are lots of tourist-trappy outlets for carpets, leather and fake antiquities. At least you hope they're fake, because if genuine it's illegal to export them.

Ankamall. Huge shopping mall to the northwest with underground parking and food court.

Armada. Large mall 500 m south of the bus terminal.

Karum AVM. Next to the Sheraton, this is the main south-side mall.

Metromall. Large mall with cinema, bowling alley and food court. It's northwest edge of the city so visitors might use it arriving or departing on the Istanbul motorway.

Kentpark AVM. Large mall with many eateries and pubs. Expensive and aimed more at locals and university students than tourists.

Eat

Ankara has a variety of local/traditional and international food restaurants such as Asian, French, Italian, Persian and Somalian cuisine throughout the city. Budget Kızılay has a pedestrianised block full of little cafes and takeaways. It's east of Atatürk Blv and north of Ziya Gökalp Cd. Çiğ köfte and regular köfte carts/shops could be found all over the city for a quick snack.

Ward Restaurant and café مطعم ورد. This is the place to come for Iraqi food.

Kırık Oklava. Great place by Ankara University Cebeci Campus for inexpensive wraps and pancakes.

Ulus has a bazaar with a row of many small food outlets. Gözleme, simit and similar snacks available cheaply.

The area around the National Library (Millî Kütüphane) has many cafes and chain fast food outlets (Komagene, Tavuk Dünyası etc.) popular with students especially.

Mid-range Aşkabat Cd is a street west side of Anıtkabir with a slew of eating places while Esat Cd is home to Ankara's renown ASPAVAs.

Yargitay Evi Lokali. Inexpensive place looking onto Kızılay Square, quality erratic.

Tarihi Çiçek Lokantası. Smart place with good cuisine.

James Cook Pub. Good value pub and restaurant.

Sudem is a tavern at Konur Sk 63 with tapas / meze-style servings and Turkish music, open daily 11:00-01:00.

Cafe des Cafes. Slick European-style cafe with Italian and Spanish choices.

Kıtır. Traditionally a rock bar but nowadays more of a restaurant.

Ege (which means Aegean) serves seafood on Tunali Hilmi Cd, open daily 12:00-01:00.

Göksu Lokantası. Great dining here. They have another branch south at Nenehatun Cd 5.

Marti Restaurant. It has a nice and relaxing atmosphere. There are two outdoor seating areas. The appetizers are great, and the food is perhaps even more so.

Hanzade Konağı. It is a very stylish place with plants hanging on the wall and from the ceiling. Decor, presentation and taste are great. Employees are smiling and interested.

Uludağ Kebapçısı. Named for the mountain above Bursa, this is an above-par kebab restaurant.

Kınacızade Konağı. Atmospheric place just outside castle, good value, not tourist-trappy.

Urumchi Uyghur Restaurant. Ürümqi is in the far west of China, so they've quite a range of Asian cuisines to go at. It's a great place for different flavours, try the roast macaroni.

Tarihi Mutfak Lokantası. Historical Kitchen Restaurant. Typical Turkish cuisine. One of the places that make the best beyti in Ankara. A great presentation and the waiters are incredible.

Splurge Gaziosmanpaşa area of Çankaya district is home to many upper class premises such as; Louise Cafe Brasserie & Loft at Filistin Cd. Trilye Restaurant at Kuleli Sk. Naya Restaurant Lounge at Atakule. Chef Bro's at Halıcı Sk. Develi1912 at Arjantin Cd.

Quick China. The name suggests a fast-food chain, and they do have other branches in Ankara and elsewhere, but this is excellent Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Thai cuisine.

Drink & Club

Most cafes and restaurants serve beer, wine and rakı. Ankara has two major strips for pubs and bars that flanks around the areas of 'Tunalı Hilmi' and 'Sakarya St'. A third would be 'Bahçeli'.

Meyhanes are taverns with fixed meze-style menus, drinks and traditional Turkish music and dancing. They're along the same stretch as the other bars. There used to be a cluster around the citadel, but these relied on the tourist trade and disappeared during covid.

Apart from the usual nightlife ones (also mostly found around Tunalı Hilmi area) there also are 'pavyons' - which are essentially Turkish take on gentleman's club (mostly located around Maltepe area).

Telwe Bar. Bar and late spot in the Kizilay eating strip.

Soul Pub. Friendly place with generous servings of pub food.

Corvus. Lively late-night pub with rock music.

Twister. Pub with live music and belly-dancing.

Sakal Kafe Bar. Cool place with a wide range of music.

Sixtiees Pub. A LGBT-friendly bar in Ankara.

Hayyami wine bar is next door at Bestekar Cd 82B. Manhattan Rock Bar is at Üsküp Cd 11, open W-Sa 20:30-04:00. Always Rock Bar is at İnkılap Sk 5/11 Granma Pub is at Konur Sk 59/13 Haymatlos is at Konur Sk 73 Afitap is a well-known meyhane at Tunus Cd.

Clubs: 6:45 is at Tunus Cd. IF Performance Hall is at Tunus Cd. Kite is at Güvenlik Cd.

Sleep

Accommodation is clustered in Ulus north of the railway station, in Sıhhiye south of the tracks, and in Kızılay further south. A strip of mid-range business hotels follows D200 a few km west - these are more convenient for the bus station.

Bihostel. Amazing to find such a friendly well-equipped hostel so central. Open all year with dorms and private rooms.

Yeni Bahar Oteli. Clean and helpful, you can find cheaper on this strip north of Ulus Square but most are dismal.

Divan Ankara Çukurhan. Charming hotel in a han, a former marketplace.

Ankara Gold. Clean friendly central place.

King Hotel. Simple rooms but good value for the prime location.

New Park Hotel. Boxy modern hotel, usually clean, some street noise.

Ramada. Functional central hotel, a bit worn.

Radisson Blu. Good value hotel 500 m from railway station.

Grand Mercure. Next to bus station, but not the ideal flop after a long journey as they play loud music to 1 am.

Green Park Hotel. Value-for-money hotel one km south of bus station, rooms kinda worn.

Airport : the hotel within Esenboğa airport remains closed in 2023. Ibis is 1 km south, and Holiday Inn Express is a further km south.

Ankara Hotel. Opened in 2022, this is a smart convenient place within the YHT Gar, pity the sound-proofing is inadequate.

Mövenpick Ankara. Slick business hotel, the only gripe is street noise.

Sheraton Ankara. Good reviews for comfort and service at this hotel and convention centre, which towers like a monument above the south-side streets.

Ankara HiltonSA. Good scores all round for this efficient friendly hotel.

Crowne Plaza Ankara. Smart business hotel in IHG chain, clean and efficient.