23 Must-See Places to Add to Your Ankara Itinerary

Şubat 23 2023 - 03:11pm

If you are planning to visit Ankara, which offers a completely different experience with its natural beauties and historical places, and if you are curious about the places to visit in Ankara, let's start our capital city tour!

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1. Anıtkabir

Located in Çankaya district, Anıtkabir is a complex that includes the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. If you come to Ankara, you can add the complex among the first places you should see., which has ten towers, an art gallery, a peace park and many other sections,

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2. Ankara Castle

The exact date of the construction of this castle in the Altındağ district of Ankara is not known. Inside this castle, which has more than twenty towers, there are many houses remaining from the Ottoman period. Some of these houses have been repaired and started to be used as restaurants, cafes and shops.

3. Ankara Roman Baths

Located in the Altındağ district of Ankara, the bathhouse was built by the Roman Emperor Caracalla in the third century. You may want to take a look at the bathhouse of the Romans in Ankara, which is a pioneer in history with its central heating system and baths.

4. Hamamönü

fullscreen — Another place you should definitely visit when you are in Ulus is Hamamönü. There are old Ankara Houses, cute concept cafes, mansions and Mehmet Akif Ersoy Culture House, which you should not return without visiting. It is one of the favorite places of Ankara residents, so don't return without exploring its streets!

5. Museum of Anatolian Civilizations

This museum, which hosts many artifacts from the Paleolithic Age, which is accepted as the beginning of the Prehistoric Ages, to the Chalcolithic Age, from the Phrygian Kingdom to the Urartu Kingdom, is located in the Atpazarı district. This museum, which also contains various jewelry and sculptures, definitely covers an area that cannot be finished in one day.

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6. Nallıhan Bird Sanctuary

Nallıhan Bird Sanctuary, an artificial wetland ecosystem, is home to more than one hundred and eighty bird species. With an area of 425 hectares, how about a walk with the birds in this paradise declared as a 'Wildlife Development Area'?

7. Rahmi Koç Museum

Located in the Altındağ district of Ankara, this museum is the first industrial museum of Ankara. In this museum, which consists of two main buildings, you can have the chance to participate in workshops while looking at nostalgic cars.

8. PTT Stamp Museum

This museum is located in Altındağ district of Ankara, where you can learn and have fun while visiting the postage stamps from year to year with the audio and visual narration of the history of communication and postal history, what changes and innovations in communication.

9. Kızılcahamam Soğuksu National Park

Located in Kızılcahamam district of Ankara, this National Park is actually a volcanic region. For this reason, the hot water springs around it are used as hot springs. In addition, camping is also organized in this park, which is home to various birds and wild animals.

10. Gordion Ancient City

Gordion, the capital of Phrygia, is located in Polatlı district of Ankara. You can visit the Gordion Museum and the tumuli where the Phrygian Kings and nobles lie in this ancient city, which contains artifacts from the Old Bronze Age, Phrygian and King Midas period.

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11. Göksu Park

12. Atatürk House

This area, which contains the largest zoo in Turkey and a house similar to Atatürk's house in Thessaloniki, was established in line with Atatürk to pioneer Turkish agriculture. Or have you still not added this farm, which was donated to the state treasury, to your list of places to visit?

13. Salt Lake

This lake, which meets almost half of Turkey's salt demand, is located on the borders of Ankara, Konya and Aksaray provinces. We recommend that you visit this natural beauty, which turns pink from time to time and is home to flamingos, cranes, wild geese and ducks, while you are in Ankara.

14. Natural History Museum

This museum, which houses a collection of rocks, fossils, minerals, geo-archaeological samples, also includes many sections such as the solar system, planetarium, etc. You should add this museum, which is free of charge, to your list.

15. 50th Year Park

The 50th year park, which you can use as a kind of observation terrace of Ankara, also offers a glimpse of areas of the city such as Anıtkabir. Don't forget to visit this beautiful place to rest and relax with its cafes, picnic, pond, open-air theater, ice skating rink, football field, etc. in a lush green area!

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16. Old Beypazarı Houses

17. Living Museum

This museum, also located in Beypazarı, was founded by Dr. Sema Demir in order to protect abstract and spiritual values as well as material and tangible ones. This museum, which is Turkey's first applied culture museum, has organized many exhibitions and events and has tried to show the deep-rooted past. After visiting the old Beypazari houses, you should definitely stop by here.

18. Kuğulu Park

Kuğulu Park, where you can go as a resting place during your trip, is located in Çankaya district of Ankara. In this park, where there is a pool where swans, ducks and geese swim, there is also an area where children will have fun.

19. Lake Eymir

Lake Eymir is one of the places you should see when you go to Ankara. You can see bird species such as green-headed duck, sakarmeke, bahri around the lake and enjoy the unique view.

20. Samanpazarı

Samanpazarı, where Ankara's oldest mosques are located, is located in Altındağ district. This place where you can buy souvenirs attracts attention with its historical shops, beaders and coppersmiths.

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21. Çubuk Dam and Plateau

Çubuk is a district of Ankara, surrounded by nature and famous for its pickles. There are places like the Ay Kayası Plateau you see above, Kışlacık Village Plateau and Yıldırım Evci Plateau where you can go and have a picnic or camping with your loved ones on the weekend. At the same time, the Çubuk-1 Dam, which was started to be built in 1930 at the request of Atatürk, was completed in 1936 and opened by Atatürk on November 3, 1936, is a very popular picnic area for Ankara residents.

22. Lake Mogan

You cannot leave Ankara without seeing Lake Mogan, which is thought to be named after a legend! The legend is as follows; Two young people named Monza and Ganey fall in love with each other, but their families do not allow them to, so they run away from home and cry for years on two different mountains. Their tears accumulated in the bed of the lake and formed the lake. The name of the lake is a combination of Monza and Ganey.

23. Presidential National Library

Located in Söğütözü, the National Library is a magnificent building built right next to the Presidential Palace. Reading halls, exhibitions and seminars are also organized in this architecturally impressive building. The library serves readers with a seating capacity of 5,500 people on an area of 125,000 m² and houses 2,039,000 printed books and 1,999,633 issues of 13,294 printed magazines.