4 Days Exploring The Truly Historic Capital of Ankara, Turkey
Before and during my adventure into Turkey, I decided to brush up on as much Turkish history as possible via. YouTube.
This was a fantastic idea, because I wasn’t educated into the extremely rich and expansive history of the region that is now called Turkey, but also Anatolia.
Many empires have come and gone through here, including the Hittites, Macedonians, Romans, Arabs, Seljuks, Byzantines, Ottomans, and ultimately the modern Turkish people.
Below is my brief review of 4 days exploration in Ankara, Turkey.
A Photo Adventure Through Ankara, Turkey
A local köfte and mangal grill spot lit up on an Ankara side street at night
Freshly grilled Turkish köfte with roasted peppers and tomato at Mangal Keyfi in Ankara
A grand mosque in Ankara illuminated at night with four minarets and an LED message banner
A colorfully lit modern sculpture in an Ankara park at night with a mosque glowing in the background
A tree-lined park walkway in Ankara beautifully lit with colorful green and purple lights at night
Hittite-inspired monument with deer and bull figures on a busy Ankara boulevard with Turkish flags
A couple relaxing by the water under autumn leaves in an Ankara park
Busy pedestrian street in downtown Ankara with shops, autumn trees, and locals walking
Grilled chicken with noodles, salad, and spicy vegetables at Sayrem Döner in Ankara
A mosque minaret towering into dramatic cloudy skies over Ankara
The grand Kocatepe Mosque in Ankara with four minarets against a blue sky with clouds
A neighbourhood mosque rising above the rooftops of residential Ankara on an overcast day
Looking up at the Kocatepe Mosque domes and minarets framed against a bright blue sky
The stunning interior of Kocatepe Mosque with its ornate dome, massive chandelier, and stained glass windows
Vertical view of the mosque’s intricate painted dome ceiling and glowing chandelier
Multilingual plaque for the Model of Masjid al-Nabawi gifted by Saudi King Fahd to Turkey in 1993
Detailed miniature scale model of Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina displayed inside the mosque
Worshippers praying inside the mosque beside the ornate wooden minbar and tiled walls
Wide view of the mosque interior showing the mihrab, minbar staircase, and stained glass windows
Selfie inside Kocatepe Mosque with the grand chandelier and colorful stained glass windows behind
A lone figure walking across the vast ornate carpet inside the mosque, showing its enormous scale
The exterior of Kocatepe Mosque with its blue-green domes and towering minarets against a blue sky
A local sitting between marble-and-brick pillars with Ankara’s hillside cityscape stretching out behind
A busy commercial street in Ankara lined with kuaför shops, döner restaurants, and apartment buildings
Crowded pedestrian boulevard in central Ankara near Ziraat Bank and the elevated metro walkway
A group of Turkish police officers gathered near a park bench with a motorcycle in Ankara
A dazzling display of Turkish chocolates and colorful confections arranged in a shop window
Rows of traditional Turkish delight, lokum, and candies at a sweet shop in Ankara
An assortment of Turkish cookies, pastries, and baked treats in a bakery display case
Elaborately decorated cakes and pastries on display at a Turkish patisserie
A street food vendor selling tereyağlı simit, sigara böreği, su böreği, and karaköy böreği
Stacks of halka tatlısı (ring-shaped fried sweets) for sale at just 1.50 Turkish lira each
A shop overflowing with nuts, dried fruits, and spices in sacks on an Ankara sidewalk
The imposing sandstone walls of Anıtkabir with the Turkish flag flying overhead and schoolchildren arriving
The grand staircase and courtyard of Anıtkabir with visitors and the Turkish flag against a dramatic sky
Close-up of a ceremonial guard standing watch at Anıtkabir in full uniform against the blue sky
Full-length portrait of a ceremonial soldier with rifle standing guard at Anıtkabir’s mausoleum entrance
A Turkish Navy honour guard in white helmet and ceremonial dress at Anıtkabir
Wide view of Anıtkabir’s monumental mausoleum with crowds gathered on the vast ceremonial plaza
Hundreds of schoolchildren in orange vests crowding the steps of Atatürk’s mausoleum at Anıtkabir
Three towering stone statues of soldiers and civilians at the entrance to Anıtkabir
A Turkish military guard standing at attention with rifle, facing the camera directly at Anıtkabir
Profile of a young Turkish soldier carrying a rifle with a Türkiye flag patch on his sleeve
Panoramic view from Anıtkabir looking out over Ankara’s skyline with the Turkish flag and surrounding hills
Dense urban sprawl of Ankara stretching across the hillside with countless apartment buildings
President İnönü’s inscription honouring Atatürk on the wall of the mausoleum, dated 21 November 1938
Ankara cityscape with Kocatepe Mosque’s minarets and a large billboard visible among the rooftops
Modern Ankara skyline with high-rises, hospitals, and mountains in the distance under overcast skies
A dramatic mosque with six white minarets rising above autumn trees with storm clouds brewing behind
Ankara Castle perched on the hilltop above the old city with a Turkish flag and dark storm clouds
Thrill-seekers suspended high above Ankara on an amusement park ride at Gençlik Parkı
Ankara panorama with a giant Turkish flag on a hilltop, a domed building below, and city rooftops
Ankara’s dense cityscape with mosque minarets and modern towers under an overcast sky
Aerial view of Gençlik Parkı’s turquoise pools and autumn trees surrounded by the Ankara cityscape
Looking down over Gençlik Parkı with its carousel, tower ride, and turquoise pool from above
Government buildings and white high-rises on the hills above Ankara’s tree-lined boulevards
A shopkeeper surrounded by sacks of nuts, dried fruits, and spices at an Ankara market stall
A vendor at his kiosk arranging items alongside Süper Loto signs, snacks, and magazines
A vendor standing behind an enormous spread of dried fruits, nuts, and spices at an open-air market
A vendor surrounded by gleaming copper pots, tea sets, and decorative metalwork at his market stall
Overflowing fruit and vegetable stalls at a bustling indoor market in Ankara
A busy covered market alley in Ankara with butcher shops, produce stands, and locals shopping
A fishmonger presenting fresh catch at his market stall with levrek and other fish on display
A young butcher posing in front of hanging lamb carcasses and kuzu cuts at an Ankara market
Two vendors in orange shirts preparing kokoreç on a rotating spit at a street food stand
A street food stall selling balık ekmek, hamsi ekmek, and other fish sandwiches with prices on the menu board
Dried pepper strings, spice bags, and bins of nuts hanging at a traditional Turkish spice shop
Two men exchanging fresh greens and tomatoes at a street-side vegetable stand in Ankara
Women browsing gold bracelets and jewellery at the Altınmerkez gold shop window in Ankara
A large Turkish flag hanging over a crowded narrow bazaar street with clothing shops and a mosque minaret
The charming cobblestone streets of Hamamönü with the Sultan Gift Shop and Ottoman-style houses
An antique-filled street in old Ankara with vintage items, copper plates, and locals browsing
A vine-covered alley in Hamamönü with artisan shops, cafés, and colourful awnings
Traditional Ottoman-style houses with wooden balconies and souvenir shops on a cobblestone street
A courtyard fountain surrounded by autumn trees and restored Ottoman houses in Hamamönü
A weathered side street near Ankara Castle with a Castle Gift Shop and old stone houses
Sweeping view of Ankara from the castle hill with a mosque minaret and red-roofed houses below
Red-tiled rooftops and Ankara Castle’s walls visible in the distance under a clear blue sky
Looking out over Ankara’s old quarter rooftops from the castle walls toward the modern city
Sweeping panorama of Ankara’s endless red-roofed houses stretching toward the mountains
Street musicians playing traditional instruments against the ancient castle walls
The ancient stone walls and towers of Ankara Castle with the Turkish flag flying above
Ankara suburbs stretching toward distant hills with “Önce Vatan” (Homeland First) written on the mountainside
Crumbling old houses on the rocky hillside with modern apartment blocks rising behind
A mosque dome and minarets framed by autumn trees with a Ferris wheel and the city beyond
A football stadium nestled among colourful apartment buildings seen from the castle above
A tilt-shift view of old houses and mosque minarets on the hillside below Ankara Castle
Close-up of Ankara’s iconic terracotta rooftops with satellite dishes packed tightly together
Tilt-shift view of modern high-rise apartment towers on the outskirts of Ankara
Tilt-shift panorama of Ankara’s apartment blocks spreading toward the barren hills
Tilt-shift view from the castle overlooking a mosque, Gençlik Parkı, and the sprawling city
Aerial view of a historic stone building and traditional houses with red rooftops in old Ankara
Selfie with sunglasses overlooking Ankara’s red rooftops and apartment blocks from the castle
Standing tall above the rooftops with Ankara Castle and the sprawling city behind
Old houses and a castle tower among the rooftops with the modern Ankara skyline in the distance
An ancient brick-minaret mosque surrounded by traditional houses seen from the castle walls
Tilt-shift panorama of Ankara from the castle showing a mosque, Gençlik Parkı pools, and the skyline
Standing on the castle walls overlooking the old quarter’s red rooftops and the hazy city beyond
Ankara’s cityscape framed through a stone archway in the castle walls
Old Ankara rooftops and the distant skyline seen through a gap in the castle’s stone walls
A vendor selling handmade beaded bracelets and jewellery on tables by the castle walls
A Turkish flag hanging in the doorway of an old house with kilim rugs draped on the steps
A vintage Tofaş station wagon parked on a steep cobblestone lane between crumbling old houses
Weathered Ottoman-era houses with wooden balconies on an empty cobblestone street near the castle
An elderly man sitting on the steps of a crumbling whitewashed house in old Ankara
A green-domed mosque clinging to the rocky hillside among demolished houses near the castle
Demolished and crumbling houses on the hillside below the castle — a neighbourhood in transition
Wide view of Ankara from the castle showing the highway, green-domed mosque, and urban sprawl
A cluster of beautifully restored traditional Ottoman houses with white walls and red-tiled roofs
Turkish graffiti on a weathered old wall with red autumn ivy creeping alongside
A sunlit cobblestone lane between traditional Ottoman houses leading toward shops in the old quarter
A terrace overlooking the Ankara skyline near the castle entrance with cafés and souvenir shops
A porter hauling heavy goods through a narrow bazaar street lined with textile and housewares shops
A tiny orange tabby kitten sitting alone on the concrete — one of Turkey’s many street cats
A tabby street cat with striking green eyes gazing into the camera in Ankara
Conclusion for Ankara, Turkey
I would say this is a fantastic place to visit for a few days, mixed in with reading, watching, and listening to the rich history of the Anatolian region (modern day Turkey).
Although, after getting a feel for the city, and trying out some of the typical traditional Turkish foods, there isn’t much else, other than the amazing castle at the top of the hill.
4 Days maximum is more than enough for some quick tourism.
Written by
Leonidas K.
Since 2010, Leonidas has been an incredible Web Developer, and amazing Digital Marketer. He is the author of various exciting case studies in digital marketing, most notably in Pay Per Call Marketing.
Make sure to read the case studies to make your life so much better!
