Ankara - wikipedia Ankara `` Ancyra '' redirects here. For the insect genus, see Ancyra ( genus ). For the Archdiocese, see Ancyra ( Catholic titular see ). For other uses, see Ankara ( disambiguation ). Ankara Metropolitan municipality Clockwise, from top : Hittite Sun Course Monument and Sıhhiye Square, Anıtkabir, Atakule, Kocatepe Mosque, Beypazarı, Ankara Castle and Kızılay. Nickname ( s ) : Heart of Turkey Ankara Location of Ankara Coordinates : 39 ° 56 ′ N 32 ° 52 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 39.933 ° N 32.867 ° E ﻿ / 39.933 ; 32.867 Coordinates : 39 ° 56 ′ N 32 ° 52 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 39.933 ° N 32.867 ° E ﻿ / 39.933 ; 32.867 Country Turkey Region Central Anatolia Province Ankara Government Mayor Mustafa Tuna ( AKP ) Governor Ercan Topaca Area Total 24,521 km ( 9,468 sq mi ) Elevation 938 m ( 3,077 ft ) Population ( 2017 ) Total 5,445,026 Time zone FET ( UTC + 3 ) Postal code 06xxx Area code ( s ) 312 Licence plate 06 Website www.ankara.bel.tr www.ankara.gov.tr Ankara ( English / ˈæŋkərə / ; Turkish ( ˈɑŋkɑɾɑ ) ( listen ) ), formerly known as Ancyra ( Greek : Ἄγκυρα ) and Angora, is the capital of the Republic of Turkey. With a population of 4,587,558 in the urban center ( 2014 ) and 5,150,072 in its province ( 2015 ), it is Turkey 's second largest city after former imperial capital Istanbul, having overtaken İzmir. Ankara was Atatürk 's headquarters from 1920 and has been the capital of the Republic since the latter 's founding in 1923, replacing Istanbul ( once the Byzantine capital Constantinople ) following the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The government is a prominent employer, but Ankara is also an important commercial and industrial city, located at the center of Turkey 's road and railway networks. The city gave its name to the Angora wool shorn from Angora rabbits, the long - haired Angora goat ( the source of mohair ), and the Angora cat. The area is also known for its pears, honey and muscat grapes. Although situated in one of the driest places of Turkey and surrounded mostly by steppe vegetation except for the forested areas on the southern periphery, Ankara can be considered a green city in terms of green areas per inhabitant, at 72 square metres ( 775 square feet ) per head. Ankara is a very old city with various Hittite, Phrygian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman archaeological sites. The historical center of town is a rocky hill rising 150 m ( 500 ft ) over the left bank of the Ankara Çayı, a tributary of the Sakarya River, the classical Sangarius. The hill remains crowned by the ruins of the old citadel. Although few of its outworks have survived, there are well - preserved examples of Roman and Ottoman architecture throughout the city, the most remarkable being the 20 BC Temple of Augustus and Rome that boasts the Monumentum Ancyranum, the inscription recording the Res Gestae Divi Augusti. Contents 1 Etymology and names 2 Geography 2.1 Climate 2.2 Demographics 3 History 3.1 Ancient history 3.2 Celtic history 3.3 Roman history 3.4 Byzantine history 3.5 Turkic rulers 3.6 Turkish republican capital 3.7 Ecclesiastical history 3.7. 1 Armenian Catholic ( titular ) see 3.7. 2 Latin titular archbishopric 4 Economy and infrastructure 4.1 Transportation 4.1. 1 Ankara Public Transportation Statistics 5 Politics 6 Main sights 6.1 Ancient / archeological sites 6.1. 1 Ankara Citadel 6.1. 2 Roman Theatre 6.1. 3 Temple of Augustus and Rome 6.1. 4 Roman Baths 6.1. 5 Roman Road 6.1. 6 Column of Julian 6.2 Mosques 6.2. 1 Kocatepe Mosque 6.2. 2 Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque 6.2. 3 Yeni ( Cenab Ahmet ) Mosque 6.2. 4 Hacı Bayram Mosque 6.2. 5 Ahi Elvan Mosque 6.2. 6 Alâeddin Mosque 6.3 Modern monuments 6.3. 1 Victory Monument 6.3. 2 Statue of Atatürk 6.3. 3 Monument to a Secure, Confident Future 6.3. 4 Hatti Monument 6.4 Inns 6.4. 1 Suluhan 6.4. 2 Çengelhan Rahmi Koç Museum 7 Shopping 8 Culture 8.1 The arts 8.1. 1 Music 8.1. 2 Theatre 8.2 Museums 8.2. 1 Museum of Anatolian Civilizations 8.2. 2 Anıtkabir 8.2. 3 Ankara Ethnography Museum 8.2. 4 State Art and Sculpture Museum 8.2. 5 Cer Modern 8.2. 6 War of Independence Museum 8.2. 7 Mehmet Akif Literature Museum Library 8.2. 8 TCDD Open Air Steam Locomotive Museum 8.2. 9 Ankara Aviation Museum 8.2. 10 METU Science and Technology Museum 8.3 Sports 9 Parks 10 Education 10.1 Universities 11 Fauna 11.1 Angora cat 11.2 Angora rabbit 11.3 Angora goat 12 Gallery 13 International relations 13.1 Twin towns and sister cities 13.2 Partner cities 14 See also 15 Notes 16 References 17 Further reading 18 Sources and external links Etymology and names As with many ancient cities, Ankara has gone by several names over the ages. It has been identified with the Hittite cult center Ankuwaš, although this remains a matter of debate. In classical antiquity and during the medieval period, the city was known as Ánkyra ( Ἄγκυρα, lit `` anchor '' ) in Greek and Ancyra in Latin ; the Galatian Celtic name was probably a similar variant. Following its annexation by the Seljuk Turks in 1073, the city became known in many European languages as Angora ; it was also known in Ottoman Turkish as Engürü. The form `` Angora '' is preserved in the names of breeds of many different kinds of animals, and in the names of several locations in the US ( see Angora ). Geography Climate Ankara has a hot - summer Mediterranean climate ( Csa ) with strong humid continental climate ( Dsa ) characteristics under the Köppen climate classification. Under the Trewartha climate classification, Ankara has a middle latitude steppe climate ( BSks ). Due to its elevation and inland location, Ankara has cold, snowy winters and hot, dry summers, with cool nightly temperatures. Rainfall occurs mostly during the spring and autumn. Ankara lies in USDA Hardiness zone 7b, and its annual average precipitation is fairly low at 400 millimeters ( 16 in ), nevertheless precipitation can be observed throughout the year. Monthly mean temperatures range from 0.3 ° C ( 32.5 ° F ) in January to 23.5 ° C ( 74.3 ° F ) in July, with an annual mean of 12.02 ° C ( 53.6 ° F ). Climate data for Ankara ( 1950 -- 2015 ) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° C ( ° F ) 16.6 ( 61.9 ) 20.4 ( 68.7 ) 27.8 ( 82 ) 31.1 ( 88 ) 33.0 ( 91.4 ) 37.0 ( 98.6 ) 41.0 ( 105.8 ) 40.4 ( 104.7 ) 36.0 ( 96.8 ) 33.3 ( 91.9 ) 24.4 ( 75.9 ) 20.4 ( 68.7 ) 41 ( 105.8 ) Average high ° C ( ° F ) 4.4 ( 39.9 ) 6.6 ( 43.9 ) 11.6 ( 52.9 ) 17.3 ( 63.1 ) 22.2 ( 72 ) 26.6 ( 79.9 ) 30.2 ( 86.4 ) 30.3 ( 86.5 ) 26.0 ( 78.8 ) 19.8 ( 67.6 ) 12.9 ( 55.2 ) 6.6 ( 43.9 ) 17.88 ( 64.18 ) Daily mean ° C ( ° F ) 0.4 ( 32.7 ) 1.9 ( 35.4 ) 6.0 ( 42.8 ) 11.3 ( 52.3 ) 16.1 ( 61 ) 20.1 ( 68.2 ) 23.6 ( 74.5 ) 23.4 ( 74.1 ) 18.8 ( 65.8 ) 13.0 ( 55.4 ) 7.0 ( 44.6 ) 2.6 ( 36.7 ) 12.02 ( 53.63 ) Average low ° C ( ° F ) − 3.0 ( 26.6 ) − 2.2 ( 28 ) 0.9 ( 33.6 ) 5.6 ( 42.1 ) 9.7 ( 49.5 ) 13.0 ( 55.4 ) 15.9 ( 60.6 ) 16.0 ( 60.8 ) 11.8 ( 53.2 ) 7.2 ( 45 ) 2.4 ( 36.3 ) − 0.7 ( 30.7 ) 6.38 ( 43.48 ) Record low ° C ( ° F ) − 24.4 ( − 11.9 ) − 22.2 ( − 8 ) − 19.2 ( − 2.6 ) − 6.7 ( 19.9 ) − 1.6 ( 29.1 ) 3.8 ( 38.8 ) 4.5 ( 40.1 ) 6.3 ( 43.3 ) 2.5 ( 36.5 ) − 5.3 ( 22.5 ) − 13.4 ( 7.9 ) − 18.0 ( − 0.4 ) − 24.4 ( − 11.9 ) Average precipitation mm ( inches ) 42.1 ( 1.657 ) 36.6 ( 1.441 ) 40.3 ( 1.587 ) 46.5 ( 1.831 ) 52.0 ( 2.047 ) 36.7 ( 1.445 ) 14.2 ( 0.559 ) 10.9 ( 0.429 ) 18.7 ( 0.736 ) 29.1 ( 1.146 ) 32.0 ( 1.26 ) 43.1 ( 1.697 ) 402.2 ( 15.835 ) Average precipitation days 12.3 11.0 11.1 11.7 12.6 8.9 3.7 2.8 3.9 6.9 8.4 11.5 104.8 Mean monthly sunshine hours 77.5 98.8 161.2 192.0 260.4 306.0 350.3 359.6 276.0 201.5 132.0 71.3 2,486.6 Percent possible sunshine 26.0 32.9 43.6 48.2 58.4 68.1 76.8 84.4 73.9 58.3 44.1 24.6 53.28 Source : Turkish State Meteorological Service Demographics Ankara metropolitan area Ankara had a population of 75,000 in 1927. In 2013, Ankara Province had a population of 5,045,083. When Ankara became the capital of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, it was designated as a planned city for 500,000 future inhabitants. During the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, the city grew in a planned and orderly pace. However, from the 1950s onward, the city grew much faster than envisioned, because unemployment and poverty forced people to migrate from the countryside into the city in order to seek a better standard of living. As a result, many illegal houses called gecekondu were built around the city, causing the unplanned and uncontrolled urban landscape of Ankara, as not enough planned housing could be built fast enough. Although precariously built, the vast majority of them have electricity, running water and modern household amenities. Nevertheless, many of these gecekondus have been replaced by huge public housing projects in the form of tower blocks such as Elvankent, Eryaman and Güzelkent ; and also as mass housing compounds for military and civil service accommodation. Although many gecekondus still remain, they too are gradually being replaced by mass housing compounds, as empty land plots in the city of Ankara for new construction projects are becoming impossible to find. History This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( October 2017 ) Main articles : History of Ankara and Timeline of Ankara Alaca Höyük bronze standard on display at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ankara. The region 's history can be traced back to the Bronze Age Hattic civilization, which was succeeded in the 2nd millennium BC by the Hittites, in the 10th century BC by the Phrygians, and later by the Lydians, Persians, Greeks, Galatians, Romans, Byzantines, and Turks ( the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm, the Ottoman Empire and finally republican Turkey ). Ancient history The oldest settlements in and around the city center of Ankara belonged to the Hattic civilization which existed during the Bronze Age and was gradually absorbed c. 2000 -- 1700 BC by the Indo - European Hittites. The city grew significantly in size and importance under the Phrygians starting around 1000 BC, and experienced a large expansion following the mass migration from Gordion, ( the capital of Phrygia ), after an earthquake which severely damaged that city around that time. In Phrygian tradition, King Midas was venerated as the founder of Ancyra, but Pausanias mentions that the city was actually far older, which accords with present archaeological knowledge. Phrygian rule was succeeded first by Lydian and later by Persian rule, though the strongly Phrygian character of the peasantry remained, as evidenced by the gravestones of the much later Roman period. Persian sovereignty lasted until the Persians ' defeat at the hands of Alexander the Great who conquered the city in 333 BC. Alexander came from Gordion to Ankara and stayed in the city for a short period. After his death at Babylon in 323 BC and the subsequent division of his empire among his generals, Ankara and its environs fell into the share of Antigonus. Another important expansion took place under the Greeks of Pontos who came there around 300 BC and developed the city as a trading center for the commerce of goods between the Black Sea ports and Crimea to the north ; Assyria, Cyprus, and Lebanon to the south ; and Georgia, Armenia and Persia to the east. By that time the city also took its name Ἄγκυρα ( Ánkyra, meaning anchor in Ancient Greek ) which, in slightly modified form, provides the modern name of Ankara. Celtic history The Dying Galatian was a famous statue commissioned some time between 230 -- 220 BC by King Attalos I of Pergamon to honor his victory over the Celtic Galatians in Anatolia. Roman marble copy of a Hellenistic work of the late 3rd century BC, at the Capitoline Museums, Rome. In 278 BC, the city, along with the rest of central Anatolia, was occupied by a Celtic group, the Galatians, who were the first to make Ankara one of their main tribal centers, the headquarters of the Tectosages tribe. Other centers were Pessinos, today 's Balhisar, for the Trocmi tribe, and Tavium, to the east of Ankara, for the Tolstibogii tribe. The city was then known as Ancyra. The Celtic element was probably relatively small in numbers ; a warrior aristocracy which ruled over Phrygian - speaking peasants. However, the Celtic language continued to be spoken in Galatia for many centuries. At the end of the 4th century, St. Jerome, a native of Dalmatia, observed that the language spoken around Ankara was very similar to that being spoken in the northwest of the Roman world near Trier. Roman history Ancyra was the capital of the Celtic kingdom of Galatia, and later of the Roman province with the same name, after its conquest by Augustus in 25 BC. The city was subsequently passed under the control of the Roman Empire. In 25 BC, Emperor Augustus raised it to the status of a polis and made it the capital city of the Roman province of Galatia. Ankara is famous for the Monumentum Ancyranum ( Temple of Augustus and Rome ) which contains the official record of the Acts of Augustus, known as the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, an inscription cut in marble on the walls of this temple. The ruins of Ancyra still furnish today valuable bas - reliefs, inscriptions and other architectural fragments. Two other Galatian tribal centers, Tavium near Yozgat, and Pessinus ( Balhisar ) to the west, near Sivrihisar, continued to be reasonably important settlements in the Roman period, but it was Ancyra that grew into a grand metropolis. The Res Gestae is the self - laudatory autobiography completed in 13 AD, just before his death, by the first Roman emperor Augustus. Most of the text is preserved in the Monumentum Ancyranum. The Roman Baths of Ankara were constructed by the Roman emperor Caracalla ( 212 -- 217 ) in honor of Asclepios, the God of Medicine, and built around three principal rooms : the caldarium ( hot bath ), the tepidarium ( warm bath ) and the frigidarium ( cold bath ) in a typically laid - out 80 - by - 120 - metre ( 260 - by - 390 - foot ) classical complex. An estimated 200,000 people lived in Ancyra in good times during the Roman Empire, a far greater number than was to be the case from after the fall of the Roman Empire until the early 20th century. A small river, the Ankara Çayı, ran through the center of the Roman town. It has now been covered and diverted, but it formed the northern boundary of the old town during the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Çankaya, the rim of the majestic hill to the south of the present city center, stood well outside the Roman city, but may have been a summer resort. In the 19th century, the remains of at least one Roman villa or large house were still standing not far from where the Çankaya Presidential Residence stands today. To the west, the Roman city extended until the area of the Gençlik Park and Railway Station, while on the southern side of the hill, it may have extended downwards as far as the site presently occupied by Hacettepe University. It was thus a sizeable city by any standards and much larger than the Roman towns of Gaul or Britannia. Ancyra 's importance rested on the fact that it was the junction point where the roads in northern Anatolia running north - south and east - west intersected, giving it major strategic importance for Rome 's eastern frontier. The great imperial road running east passed through Ankara and a succession of emperors and their armies came this way. They were not the only ones to use the Roman highway network, which was equally convenient for invaders. In the second half of the 3rd century, Ancyra was invaded in rapid succession by the Goths coming from the west ( who rode far into the heart of Cappadocia, taking slaves and pillaging ) and later by the Arabs. For about a decade, the town was one of the western outposts of one of Palmyrean empress Zenobia in the Syrian Desert, who took advantage of a period of weakness and disorder in the Roman Empire to set up a short - lived state of her own. The town was reincorporated into the Roman Empire under Emperor Aurelian in 272. The tetrarchy, a system of multiple ( up to four ) emperors introduced by Diocletian ( 284 -- 305 ), seems to have engaged in a substantial programme of rebuilding and of road construction from Ankara westwards to Germe and Dorylaeum ( now Eskişehir ). In its heyday, Roman Ankara was a large market and trading center but it also functioned as a major administrative capital, where a high official ruled from the city 's Praetorium, a large administrative palace or office. During the 3rd century, life in Ancyra, as in other Anatolian towns, seems to have become somewhat militarized in response to the invasions and instability of the town. Byzantine history The city is well known during the 4th century as a centre of Christian activity ( see also below ), due to frequent imperial visits, and through the letters of the pagan scholar Libanius. Bishop Marcellus of Ancyra and Basil of Ancyra were active in the theological controversies of their day, and the city was the site of no less than three church synods in 314, in 358, and in 375, the latter two in favour of Arianism. The city was visited by Emperor Constans I ( r. 337 -- 350 -- ) in 347 and 350, Julian ( r. 361 -- 363 -- ) during his Persian campaign in 362, and Julian 's successor Jovian ( r. 363 -- 364 -- ) in winter 363 / 364 ( he entered his consulship while in the city ). After Jovian 's death soon after, Valentinian I ( r. 364 -- 375 -- ) was acclaimed emperor at Ancyra, and in the next year his brother Valens ( r. 364 -- 378 -- ) used Ancyra as his base against the usurper Procopius. When the province of Galatia was divided sometime in 396 / 99, Ancyra remained the civil capital of Galatia I, as well as its ecclesiastical centre ( metropolitan see ). Emperor Arcadius ( r. 395 -- 408 -- ) frequently used the city as his summer residence, and some information about the ecclesiastical affairs of the city during the early 5th century is found in the works of Palladius of Galatia and Nilus of Galatia. In 479, the rebel Marcian attacked the city, without being able to capture it. In 610 / 11, Comentiolus, brother of Emperor Phocas ( r. 602 -- 610 -- ), launched his own unsuccessful rebellion in the city against Heraclius ( r. 610 -- 641 -- ). Ten years later, in 620 or more likely 622, it was captured by the Sassanid Persians during the Byzantine -- Sassanid War of 602 -- 628. Although the city returned to Byzantine hands after the end of the war, the Persian presence left traces in the city 's archaeology, and likely began the process of its transformation from a late antique city to a medieval fortified settlement. In 654, the city was captured for the first time by the Arabs of the Rashidun Caliphate, under Muawiyah, the future founder of the Umayyad Caliphate. At about the same time, the themes were established in Anatolia, and Ancyra became capital of the Opsician Theme, which was the largest and most important theme until it was split up under Emperor Constantine V ( r. 741 -- 775 -- ) ; Ancyra then became the capital of the new Bucellarian Theme. The city was attacked without success by Abbasid forces in 776 and in 798 / 99. In 805, Emperor Nikephoros I ( r. 802 -- 811 -- ) strengthened its fortifications, a fact which probably saved it from sack during the large - scale invasion of Anatolia by Caliph Harun al - Rashid in the next year. Arab sources report that Harun and his successor al - Ma'mun ( r. 813 -- 833 -- ) took the city, but this information is later invention. In 838, however, during the Amorium campaign, the armies of Caliph al - Mu'tasim ( r. 833 -- 842 -- ) converged and met at the city ; abandoned by its inhabitants, Ancara was razed to the ground, before the Arab armies went on to besiege and destroy Amorium. In 859, Emperor Michael III ( r. 842 -- 867 -- ) came to the city during a campaign against the Arabs, and ordered its fortifications restored. In 872, the city was menaced, but not taken, by the Paulicians under Chrysocheir. The last Arab raid to reach the city was undertaken in 931, by the Abbasid governor of Tarsus, Thamal al - Dulafi, but the city again was not captured. Turkic rulers President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ( center ) and Prime Minister İsmet İnönü ( left ) leaving the Grand National Assembly of Turkey during the 7th anniversary celebrations of the Turkish Republic in 1930. A view of the old general directorate building of Ziraat Bank. It was designed by Istanbul - born Italian Levantine architect Giulio Mongeri and built between 1926 and 1929. After the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, the Seljuk Turks overran much of Anatolia. By 1073, the Turkish settlers had reached the vicinity of Ancyra, and the city was captured shortly after, at the latest by the time of the rebellion of Nikephoros Melissenos in 1081. In 1101, when the Crusade under Raymond IV of Toulouse arrived, the city had been under Danishmend control for some time. The Crusaders captured the city, and handed it over to the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos ( r. 1081 -- 1118 -- ). Byzantine rule did not last long, and the city was captured by the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum at some unknown point ; in 1127, it returned to Danishmend control until 1143, when the Seljuks of Rum retook it. After the Battle of Köse Dağ in 1243, in which the Mongols defeated the Seljuks, most of Anatolia became part of the dominion of the Mongols. Taking advantage of Seljuk decline, a semi-religious cast of craftsmen and trade people named Ahiler chose Ankara as their independent city - state in 1290. Orhan I, the second Bey of the Ottoman Empire, captured the city in 1356. Timur defeated Bayezid I at the Battle of Ankara in 1402 and took the city, but in 1403 Ankara was again under Ottoman control. The Levant Company maintained a factory in the town from 1639 to 1768. In the 19th century, its population was estimated at 20,000 to 60,000. It was sacked by Egyptians under Ibrahim Pasha in 1832. Prior to World War I, the town had a British consulate and a population of around 28,000, roughly 1⁄3 of whom were Christian. Turkish republican capital Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in Ankara, is visited by large crowds every year during national holidays such as Republic Day on October 29. Kızılay Square during the early years of the Turkish Republic, with the later relocated Su Perileri ( Water Fairies ) fountain, c. 1930. Following the Ottoman defeat at World War I, the Ottoman capital Constantinople ( modern Istanbul ) and much of Anatolia were occupied by the Allies, who planned to share these lands between Armenia, France, Greece, Italy and the United Kingdom, leaving for the Turks the core piece of land in central Anatolia. In response, the leader of the Turkish nationalist movement, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, established the headquarters of his resistance movement in Ankara in 1920. After the Turkish War of Independence was won and the Treaty of Sèvres was superseded by the Treaty of Lausanne, the Turkish nationalists replaced the Ottoman Empire with the Republic of Turkey on 29 October 1923. A few days earlier, Ankara had officially replaced Constantinople as the new Turkish capital city, on 13 October 1923. After Ankara became the capital of the newly founded Republic of Turkey, new development divided the city into an old section, called Ulus, and a new section, called Yenişehir. Ancient buildings reflecting Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman history and narrow winding streets mark the old section. The new section, now centered on Kızılay Square, has the trappings of a more modern city : wide streets, hotels, theaters, shopping malls, and high - rises. Government offices and foreign embassies are also located in the new section. Ankara has experienced a phenomenal growth since it was made Turkey 's capital in 1923, when it was `` a small town of no importance ''. In 1924, the year after the government had moved there, Ankara had about 35,000 residents. By 1927 there were 44,553 residents and by 1950 the population had grown to 286,781. Ankara continued to grow rapidly during the latter half of the 20th century and eventually outranked Izmir as Turkey 's second largest city, after Istanbul. Ankara 's urban population reached 4,587,558 in 2014, while the population of Ankara Province reached 5,150,072 in 2015. A panoramic view of the city from the Ankara castle and citadel Ecclesiastical history Early Christian martyrs of Ancyra, about whom little is known, included Proklos and Hilarios who were natives of the otherwise unknown nearby village of Kallippi, and suffered repression under the emperor Trajan ( 98 -- 117 ). In the 280s we hear of Philumenos, a Christian corn merchant from southern Anatolia, being captured and martyred in Ankara, and Eustathius. St. Theodotus of Ancyra As in other Roman towns, the reign of Diocletian marked the culmination of the persecution of the Christians. In 303, Ancyra was one of the towns where the co-Emperors Diocletian and his deputy Galerius launched their anti-Christian persecution. In Ancyra, their first target was the 38 - year - old Bishop of the town, whose name was Clement. Clement 's life describes how he was taken to Rome, then sent back, and forced to undergo many interrogations and hardship before he, and his brother, and various companions were put to death. The remains of the church of St. Clement can be found today in a building just off Işıklar Caddesi in the Ulus district. Quite possibly this marks the site where Clement was originally buried. Four years later, a doctor of the town named Plato and his brother Antiochus also became celebrated martyrs under Galerius. Theodotus of Ancyra is also venerated as a saint. However, the persecution proved unsuccessful and in 314 Ancyra was the center of an important council of the early church ; its 25 disciplinary canons constitute one of the most important documents in the early history of the administration of the Sacrament of Penance. The synod also considered ecclesiastical policy for the reconstruction of the Christian Church after the persecutions, and in particular the treatment of lapsi -- Christians who had given in to forced paganism ( sacrifices ) to avoid martyrdom during these persecutions. The Column of Julian ( 362 ) was erected in honor of the Roman emperor Julian the Apostate 's visit to Ancyra. Though paganism was probably tottering in Ancyra in Clement 's day, it may still have been the majority religion. Twenty years later, Christianity and monotheism had taken its place. Ancyra quickly turned into a Christian city, with a life dominated by monks and priests and theological disputes. The town council or senate gave way to the bishop as the main local figurehead. During the middle of the 4th century, Ancyra was involved in the complex theological disputes over the nature of Christ, and a form of Arianism seems to have originated there. In 362 -- 363, the Emperor Julian passed through Ancyra on his way to an ill - fated campaign against the Persians, and according to Christian sources, engaged in a persecution of various holy men. The stone base for a statue, with an inscription describing Julian as `` Lord of the whole world from the British Ocean to the barbarian nations '', can still be seen, built into the eastern side of the inner circuit of the walls of Ankara Castle. The Column of Julian which was erected in honor of the emperor 's visit to the city in 362 still stands today. In 375, Arian bishops met at Ancyra and deposed several bishops, among them St. Gregory of Nyssa. In the late 4th century, Ancyra became something of an imperial holiday resort. After Constantinople became the East Roman capital, emperors in the 4th and 5th centuries would retire from the humid summer weather on the Bosporus to the drier mountain atmosphere of Ancyra. Theodosius II ( 408 -- 450 ) kept his court in Ancyra in the summers. Laws issued in Ancyra testify to the time they spent there. The Metropolis of Ancyra continued to be a residential see of the Eastern Orthodox Church until the 20th century, with about 40,000 faithful, mostly Turkish - speaking, but that situation ended as a result of the 1923 Convention Concerning the Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations. The earlier Armenian Genocide put an end to the residential eparchy of Ancyra of the Armenian Catholic Church, which had been established in 1850. It is also a titular metropolis of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Both the Ancient Byzantine Metropolitan archbishopric and the ' modern ' Armenian eparchy are now listed by the Catholic Church as titular sees, with separate apostolic successions. Armenian Catholic ( titular ) see In 1735 an Armenian Catholic diocese was established ( Curiate Italian : Ancira degli Ameni ). Having fallen into disuse, on 1850.04. 30 it was restored. The Armenian Genocide brought an effective end to the residential diocese, which was only formally suppressed in 1972 and instantly transformed into an Armenian Catholic titular bishopric. The titular see has had a single occupant : Mikail Nersès Sétian ( 1981.07. 03 -- death 2002.09. 09 ), as Apostolic Exarch of United States of America and Canada of the Armenians ( USA ) ( 1981.07. 03 -- retired 1993.09. 18 ) and as emeritate. Latin titular archbishopric No later than 1696, the Catholic Church also established a Latin Rite titular archbishopric of Ancyra. The last incumbent died in 1976. Economy and infrastructure BDDK Building ( 1975 ) A view of Kızılay Square from the northwest, with the Kahramanlar Business Center ( 1959 -- 1965 ). Söğütözü business district in Ankara, as seen from the Atatürk Forest Farm and Zoo, with the Armada Tower & Mall ( 2002 ) rising behind the Turkish flag. The city has exported mohair ( from the Angora goat ) and Angora wool ( from the Angora rabbit ) internationally for centuries. In the 19th century, the city also exported substantial amounts of goat and cat skins, gum, wax, honey, berries, and madder root. It was connected to Istanbul by railway before the First World War, continuing to export mohair, wool, berries, and grain. The Central Anatolia Region is one of the primary locations of grape and wine production in Turkey, and Ankara is particularly famous for its Kalecik Karası and Muscat grapes ; and its Kavaklıdere wine, which is produced in the Kavaklıdere neighbourhood within the Çankaya district of the city. Ankara is also famous for its pears. Another renowned natural product of Ankara is its indigenous type of honey ( Ankara Balı ) which is known for its light color and is mostly produced by the Atatürk Forest Farm and Zoo in the Gazi district, and by other facilities in the Elmadağ, Çubuk and Beypazarı districts. Ankara is the center of the state - owned and private Turkish defence and aerospace companies, where the industrial plants and headquarters of the Turkish Aerospace Industries, MKE, ASELSAN, Havelsan, Roketsan, FNSS, Nurol Makina, and numerous other firms are located. Exports to foreign countries from these defence and aerospace firms have steadily increased in the past decades. The IDEF in Ankara is one of the largest international expositions of the global arms industry. A number of the global automotive companies also have production facilities in Ankara, such as the German bus and truck manufacturer MAN SE. Ankara hosts the OSTIM Industrial Zone, Turkey 's largest industrial park. A large percentage of the complicated employment in Ankara is provided by the state institutions ; such as the ministries, undersecretariats, and other administrative bodies of the Turkish government. There are also many foreign citizens working as diplomats or clerks in the embassies of their respective countries. Transportation See also : Ankara Metro, Ankara Central Station, and Esenboğa International Airport A subway train of the M2 line at the Kızılay station of the Ankara Metro A TCDD HT65000 high - speed train at the Ankara Central Station ( 1937 ) The Electricity, Gas, Bus General Directorate ( EGO ) operates the Ankara Metro and other forms of public transportation. Ankara is currently served by a suburban rail named Ankaray ( A1 ) and three subway lines ( M1, M2, M3 ) of the Ankara Metro with about 300,000 total daily commuters, while an additional subway line ( M4 ) is currently under construction. A 3.2 km ( 2.0 mi ) long gondola lift with four stations connects the district of Şentepe to the Yenimahalle metro station. The Ankara Central Station is a major rail hub in Turkey. The Turkish State Railways operates passenger train service from Ankara to other major cities, such as : Istanbul, Eskişehir, Balıkesir, Kütahya, İzmir, Kayseri, Adana, Kars, Elâzığ, Malatya, Diyarbakır, Karabük, Zonguldak and Sivas. Commuter rail also runs between the stations of Sincan and Kayaş. On 13 March 2009, the new Yüksek Hızlı Tren ( YHT ) high - speed rail service began operation between Ankara and Eskişehir. On 23 August 2011, another YHT high - speed line commercially started its service between Ankara and Konya. On 25 July 2014, the Ankara -- Istanbul high - speed line of YHT entered service. Esenboğa International Airport, located in the north - east of the city, is Ankara 's main airport. Ankara public transportation Statistics The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Ankara, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 71 min. 17 % of public transit riders, ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 16 min, while 28. % of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 9.9 km, while 27 % travel for over 12 km in a single direction. Esenboğa International Airport POLITICS Ankara district Municipalities Turkish local elections, 2014 AK Party 20 / 25 CHP 2 / 25 MHP 2 / 25 Democrat 1 / 25 Ankara is politically a triple battleground between the ruling conservative Justice and Development Party ( AKP ), the opposition Kemalist centre - left Republican People 's Party ( CHP ) and the nationalist far - right Nationalist Movement Party ( MHP ). The province of Ankara is divided into 25 districts. The CHP 's key and almost only political stronghold in Ankara lies within the central area of Çankaya, which is the city 's most populous district. While the CHP has always gained between 60 and 70 % of the vote in Çankaya since 2002, political support elsewhere throughout Ankara is minimal. The high population within Çankaya, as well as Yenimahalle to an extent, has allowed the CHP to take overall second place behind the AKP in both local and general elections, with the MHP a close third, despite the fact that the MHP is politically stronger than the CHP in almost every other district. Overall, the AKP enjoys the most support throughout the city. The electorate of Ankara thus tend to vote in favour of the political right, far more so than the other main cities of Istanbul and İzmir. In retrospect, the 2013 -- 14 protests against the AKP government were particularly strong in Ankara, proving to be fatal on multiple occasions. Melih Gökçek has been the Metropolitan Mayor of Ankara since 1994 as a politician from the Welfare Party. He later joined the Virtue Party and then the AKP. Initially elected in the 1994 local elections, he was re-elected in 1999, 2004 and 2009. In the 2014 local election, Gökçek stood for a fifth term. The MHP metropolitan mayoral candidate for the 2009 local elections, conservative politician Mansur Yavaş, stood as the CHP candidate against Gökçek. In a heavily controversial election, Gökçek was declared the winner by just 1 % ahead of Yavaş amid allegations of systematic electoral fraud. With the Supreme Electoral Council and courts rejecting Yavaş 's appeals, he has declared intention to take the irregularities to the European Court of Human Rights. Although Gökçek was inaugurated for a fifth term, most election observers believe that Yavaş was the winner of the election. The city suffered from a series of terrorist attacks in 2015 and 2016, most notably on 10 October 2015 ; 17 February 2016 ; 13 March 2016 ; and 15 July 2016. Main sights Ancient / archeological sites Ankara castle and citadel At the Monumentum Ancyranum ( Temple of Augustus and Rome ) in Ulus, the primary intact copy of Res Gestae written by the first Roman emperor Augustus survives. Roman Baths of Ankara Ankara citadel The foundations of the Ankara castle and citadel were laid by the Galatians on a prominent lava outcrop ( 39 ° 56 ′ 28 '' N 32 ° 51 ′ 50 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 39.941 ° N 32.864 ° E ﻿ / 39.941 ; 32.864 ), and the rest was completed by the Romans. The Byzantines and Seljuks further made restorations and additions. The area around and inside the citadel, being the oldest part of Ankara, contains many fine examples of traditional architecture. There are also recreational areas to relax. Many restored traditional Turkish houses inside the citadel area have found new life as restaurants, serving local cuisine. The citadel was depicted in various Turkish banknotes during 1927 -- 1952 and 1983 -- 1989. Roman theatre The remains, the stage, and the backstage of the Roman theatre can be seen outside the castle. Roman statues that were found here are exhibited in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. The seating area is still under excavation. Temple of Augustus and Rome Main article : Monumentum Ancyranum The Augusteum, now known as the Temple of Augustus and Rome, was built 25 x 20 BC following the conquest of Central Anatolia by the Roman Empire. Ancyra then formed the capital of the new province of Galatia. After the death of Augustus in AD 14, a copy of the text of the Res Gestae Divi Augusti ( the Monumentum Ancyranum ) was inscribed on the interior of the temple 's pronaos in Latin and a Greek translation on an exterior wall of the cella. The temple on the ancient acropolis of Ancyra was enlarged in the 2nd century and converted into a church in the 5th century. It is located in the Ulus quarter of the city. It was subsequently publicized by the Austrian ambassador Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq in the 16th century. Roman Baths The Roman Baths of Ankara have all the typical features of a classical Roman bath complex : a frigidarium ( cold room ), a tepidarium ( warm room ) and a caldarium ( hot room ). The baths were built during the reign of the Roman emperor Caracalla in the early 3rd century to honor Asclepios, the God of Medicine. Today, only the basement and first floors remain. It is situated in the Ulus quarter. Roman Road The Roman Road of Ankara or Cardo Maximus was found in 1995 by Turkish archaeologist Cevdet Bayburtluoğlu. It is 216 metres ( 709 feet ) long and 6.7 metres ( 22.0 feet ) wide. Many ancient artifacts were discovered during the excavations along the road and most of them are currently displayed at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. Column of Julian The Column of Julian or Julianus, now in the Ulus district, was erected in honor of the Roman emperor Julian the Apostate 's visit to Ancyra in 362. Mosques Kocatepe mosque Kocatepe Mosque is the largest mosque in Ankara Kocatepe Mosque is the largest mosque in the city. Located in the Kocatepe quarter, it was constructed between 1967 and 1987 in classical Ottoman style with four minarets. Its size and prominent location have made it a landmark for the city. Ahmet Hamdi Akseki mosque Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque is located near the Presidency of Religious Affairs on the Eskişehir Road. Built in the Turkish neoclassical style, it is one of the largest new mosques in the city, completed and opened in 2013. It can accommodate 6 thousand people during general prayers, and up to 30 thousand people during funeral prayers. The mosque was decorated with Anatolian Seljuk style patterns. Yeni ( cenab Ahmet ) mosque It is the largest Ottoman mosque in Ankara and was built by the famous architect Sinan in the 16th century. The mimber ( pulpit ) and mihrap ( prayer niche ) are of white marble, and the mosque itself is of Ankara stone, an example of very fine workmanship. Hacı Bayram mosque Hacı Bayram Mosque ( 1428 ) This mosque, in the Ulus quarter next to the Temple of Augustus, was built in the early 15th century in Seljuk style by an unknown architect. It was subsequently restored by architect Mimar Sinan in the 16th century, with Kütahya tiles being added in the 18th century. The mosque was built in honor of Hacı Bayram - ı Veli, whose tomb is next to the mosque, two years before his death ( 1427 -- 28 ). The usable space inside this mosque is 437 m ( 4,704 sq ft ) on the first floor and 263 m ( 2,831 sq ft ) on the second floor. Ahi elvan mosque It was founded in the Ulus quarter near the Ankara Citadel and was constructed by the Ahi fraternity during the late 14th and early 15th centuries. The finely carved walnut mimber ( pulpit ) is of particular interest. Alâeddin mosque The Alâeddin Mosque is the oldest mosque in Ankara. It has a carved walnut mimber, the inscription on which records that the mosque was completed in early AH 574 ( which corresponds to the summer of 1178 AD ) and was built by the Seljuk prince Muhiddin Mesud Şah ( d. 1204 ), the Bey of Ankara, who was the son of the Anatolian Seljuk sultan Kılıç Arslan II ( reigned 1156 -- 1192. ) Modern monuments Victory monument Top : Victory Monument ( 1927 ) Bottom : Hatti Monument ( 1978 ) The Victory Monument ( Turkish : Zafer Anıtı ) was crafted by Austrian sculptor Heinrich Krippel in 1925 and was erected in 1927 at Ulus Square. The monument is made of marble and bronze and features an equestrian statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who wears a Republic era modern military uniform, with the rank Field Marshal. Statue of Atatürk Located at Zafer Square ( Turkish : Zafer Meydanı ), the marble and bronze statue was crafted by the renowned Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica in 1927 and depicts a standing Atatürk who wears a Republic era modern military uniform, with the rank Field Marshal. Monument to a secure, confident future This monument, located in Güven Park near Kızılay Square, was erected in 1935 and bears Atatürk 's advice to his people : `` Turk ! Be proud, work hard, and believe in yourself. '' The monument was depicted on the reverse of the Turkish 5 lira banknote of 1937 -- 1952 and of the 1000 lira banknotes of 1939 -- 1946. Hatti monument Erected in 1978 at Sıhhiye Square, this impressive monument symbolizes the Hatti Sun Disc ( which was later adopted by the Hittites ) and commemorates Anatolia 's earliest known civilization. The Hatti Sun Disc has been used in the previous logo of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality. It was also used in the previous logo of the Ministry of Culture & Tourism. Inns Suluhan Suluhan Inn ( 1511 ) Suluhan is a historical Inn in Ankara. It is also called the Hasanpaşa Han. It is about 400 meters ( 1,300 ft ) southeast of Ulus Square and situated in the Hacıdoğan neighbourhood. According to the vakfiye ( inscription ) of the building, the Ottoman era han was commissioned by Hasan Pasha, a regional beylerbey, and was constructed between 1508 and 1511, during the final years of the reign of Sultan Bayezid II. There are 102 rooms ( now shops ) which face the two yards. In each room there is a window, a niche and a chimney. Çengelhan Rahmi Koç Museum Çengelhan Rahmi Koç Museum is a museum of industrial technology situated in Çengel Han, an Ottoman era Inn which was completed in 1523, during the early years of the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. The exhibits include industrial / technological artifacts from the 1850s onwards. There are also sections about Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey ; Vehbi Koç, Rahmi Koç 's father and one of the first industrialists of Turkey, and Ankara city. Shopping Atakule Tower ( 1989 ) Armada shopping center ( top ) Kızılay shopping center ( bottom ) Foreign visitors to Ankara usually like to visit the old shops in Çıkrıkçılar Yokuşu ( Weavers ' Road ) near Ulus, where myriad things ranging from traditional fabrics, hand - woven carpets and leather products can be found at bargain prices. Bakırcılar Çarşısı ( Bazaar of Coppersmiths ) is particularly popular, and many interesting items, not just of copper, can be found here like jewelry, carpets, costumes, antiques and embroidery. Up the hill to the castle gate, there are many shops selling a huge and fresh collection of spices, dried fruits, nuts, and other produce. Modern shopping areas are mostly found in Kızılay, or on Tunalı Hilmi Avenue, including the modern mall of Karum ( named after the ancient Assyrian merchant colonies called Kârum that were established in central Anatolia at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC ) which is located towards the end of the Avenue ; and in Çankaya, the quarter with the highest elevation in the city. Atakule Tower next to Atrium Mall in Çankaya commands a magnificent view over Ankara and also has a revolving restaurant at the top, where the city 's panorama can be enjoyed in a leisurely fashion. The symbol of the Armada Shopping Mall is an anchor, and there 's a large anchor monument at its entrance, as a reference to the ancient Greek name of the city, Ἄγκυρα ( Ánkyra ), which means anchor. Likewise, the anchor monument is also related with the Spanish name of the mall, Armada, which means naval fleet. As Ankara started expanding westward in the 1970s, several modern, suburbia - style developments and mini-cities began to rise along the western highway, also known as the Eskişehir Road. The Armada, CEPA and Kentpark malls on the highway, the Galleria, Arcadium and Gordion in Ümitköy, and a huge mall, Real in Bilkent Center, offer North American and European style shopping opportunities ( these places can be reached through the Eskişehir Highway. ) There is also the newly expanded ANKAmall at the outskirts, on the Istanbul Highway, which houses most of the well - known international brands. This mall is the largest throughout the Ankara region. In 2014 a few more shopping malls were open in Ankara. They are Next Level and Taurus on the Boulevard of Mevlana ( also known as Konya Road ). Culture The arts The historic Evkaf Apartment ( 1929 ) is the headquarters of the Turkish State Theatres. The building also houses the Küçük Tiyatro and Oda Tiyatrosu. Ankara Opera House of the Turkish State Opera and Ballet ( 1933 ) Bilkent Concert Hall Turkish State Opera and Ballet, the national directorate of opera and ballet companies of Turkey, has its headquarters in Ankara, and serves the city with three venues : Ankara Opera House ( Opera Sahnesi, also known as Büyük Tiyatro ) is the largest of the three venues for opera and ballet in Ankara. Music Ankara is host to five classical music orchestras : Presidential Symphony Orchestra ( Turkish Presidential Symphony Orchestra ) Bilkent Symphony Orchestra ( BSO ) is a major symphony orchestra of Turkey. Hacettepe Symphony Orchestra was founded in 2003 and is currently conducted by Erol Erdinç. Başkent Oda Orkestrası ( Chamber Orchestra of the Capital ) There are four concert halls in the city : CSO Concert Hall Bilkent Concert Hall is a performing arts center in Ankara. It is located in the Bilkent University campus. MEB Şura Salonu ( also known as the Festival Hall ), It is noted for its tango performances. Çankaya Çağdaş Sanatlar Merkezi Concert Hall was founded in 1994. The city has been host to several well - established, annual theatre, music, film festivals : Ankara International Music Festival, a music festival organized in the Turkish capital presenting classical music and ballet programmes. Ankara also has a number of concert venues such as Eskiyeni, IF Performance Hall, Jolly Joker, Kite, Nefes Bar, Noxus Pub, Passage Pub and Route, which host the live performances and events of popular musicians. Theatre The Turkish State Theatres also has its head office in Ankara and runs the following stages in the city : 125. Yıl Çayyolu Sahnesi Büyük Tiyatro, Küçük Tiyatro, Şinasi Sahnesi, Akün Sahnesi, Altındağ Tiyatrosu, İrfan Şahinbaş Atölye Sahnesi, Oda Tiyatrosu, Mahir Canova Sahnesi, Muhsin Ertuğrul Sahnesi. In addition, the city is served by several private theatre companies, among which Ankara Sanat Tiyatrosu, who have their own stage in the city center, is a notable example. Museums There are about 50 museums in the city. Museum of Anatolian Civilizations A statue at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations ( Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi ) is situated at the entrance of the Ankara Castle. It is an old 15th century bedesten ( covered bazaar ) that has been beautifully restored and now houses a unique collection of Paleolithic, Neolithic, Hatti, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian and Roman works as well as a major section dedicated to Lydian treasures. Anıtkabir Anıtkabir is located on an imposing hill, which forms the Anıttepe quarter of the city, where the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Turkey, stands. Completed in 1953, it is an impressive fusion of ancient and modern architectural styles. An adjacent museum houses a wax statue of Atatürk, his writings, letters and personal items, as well as an exhibition of photographs recording important moments in his life and during the establishment of the Republic. Anıtkabir is open every day, while the adjacent museum is open every day except Mondays. A panorama of Atatürk 's Mausoleum. It is the most popular sight of Ankara. ( Image with notes ). Ethnography Museum ( 1928 ) State Art and Sculpture Museum ( 1930 ) Museum of Anatolian Civilizations ( 1921 ) War of Independence Museum ( 1961 ) METU Science and Technology Museum ( 2003 ) Ankara Ethnography Museum Ankara Ethnography Museum ( Etnoğrafya Müzesi ) is located opposite to the Ankara Opera House on Talat Paşa Boulevard, in the Ulus district. There is a fine collection of folkloric items, as well as artifacts from the Seljuk and Ottoman periods. In front of the museum building, there is a marble and bronze equestrian statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ( who wears a Republic era modern military uniform, with the rank Field Marshal ) which was crafted in 1927 by the renowned Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica. The Ballet Dancers statues in Kavaklıdere were crafted by sculptor Metin Yurdanur State art and Sculpture Museum The State Art and Sculpture Museum ( Resim - Heykel Müzesi ) which opened to the public in 1980 is close to the Ethnography Museum and houses a rich collection of Turkish art from the late 19th century to the present day. There are also galleries which host guest exhibitions. Cer modern Cer Modern is the modern - arts museum of Ankara, inaugurated on 1 April 2010. It is situated in the renovated building of the historic TCDD Cer Atölyeleri, formerly a workshop of the Turkish State Railways. The museum incorporates the largest exhibition hall in Turkey. The museum holds periodic exhibitions of modern and contemporary art as well as hosting other contemporary arts events. War of Independence Museum The War of Independence Museum ( Kurtuluş Savaşı Müzesi ) is located on Ulus Square. It was originally the first Parliament building ( TBMM ) of the Republic of Turkey. The War of Independence was planned and directed here as recorded in various photographs and items presently on exhibition. In another display, wax figures of former presidents of the Republic of Turkey are on exhibit. Mehmet Akif Literature Museum Library The Mehmet Akif Literature Museum Library is an important literary museum and archive opened in 2011 and dedicated to Mehmet Akif Ersoy ( 1873 -- 1936 ), the poet of the Turkish National Anthem. TCDD open Air steam Locomotive Museum The TCDD Open Air Steam Locomotive Museum is an open - air museum which traces the history of steam locomotives. Ankara Aviation Museum Ankara Aviation Museum ( Hava Kuvvetleri Müzesi Komutanlığı ) is located near the Istanbul Road in Etimesgut. The museum opened to the public in September 1998. It is home to various missiles, avionics, aviation materials and aircraft that have served in the Turkish Air Force ( e.g. combat aircraft such as the F - 86 Sabre, F - 100 Super Sabre, F - 102 Delta Dagger, F - 104 Starfighter, F - 5 Freedom Fighter, F - 4 Phantom ; and cargo planes such as the Transall C - 160. ) Also a Hungarian MiG - 21, a Pakistani MiG - 19, and a Bulgarian MiG - 17 are on display at the museum. METU Science and Technology Museum The METU Science and Technology Museum ( ODTÜ Bilim ve Teknoloji Müzesi ) is located inside the Middle East Technical University campus. Sports Ankara Arena ( 2010 ) As with all other cities of Turkey, football is the most popular sport in Ankara. The city has one football club currently competing in the Turkish Super League : Gençlerbirliği, founded in 1923, is known as the Ankara Gale or the Poppies because of their colors : red and black. They were the Turkish Cup winners in 1987 and 2001. Ankaragücü, founded in 1910, is the oldest club in Ankara and is associated with Ankara 's military arsenal manufacturing company MKE. Ankaragücü used to play in the Turkish Super League until being relegated to the TFF First League at the end of the 2011 -- 2012 season. They were the Turkish Cup winners in 1972 and 1981. Gençlerbirliği 's B team, Hacettepe S.K. ( formerly known as Gençlerbirliği OFTAŞ ) played in the Turkish Super League for a while until being relegated. All of the aforementioned teams have their home at the Ankara 19 Mayıs Stadium in Ulus, which has a capacity of 21,250 ( all - seater ). A fourth team, Büyükşehir Belediye Ankaraspor, played in the Turkish Super League until 2010, when they were expelled. They have since returned to the Turkish Super League after winning the TFF First League in the 2014 -- 15 season and now go by the name of Osmanlıspor. Their home is the Osmanlı Stadyumu in the Sincan district of Yenikent, outside the city center. Ankara has a large number of minor teams, playing at regional levels : Bugsaşspor in Sincan ; Etimesgut Şekerspor in Etimesgut ; Türk Telekomspor owned by the phone company in Yenimahalle ; Ankara Demirspor in Çankaya ; Keçiörengücü, Keçiörenspor, Pursaklarspor, Bağlumspor in Keçiören ; and Petrol Ofisi Spor owned by the oil company in Altındağ. Most of them, including Hacettepespor, play their matches at Cebeci İnönü Stadium in the Cebeci district. In the Turkish Basketball League, Ankara is represented by Türk Telekom, whose home is the Ankara Arena, and CASA TED Kolejliler, whose home is the TOBB Sports Hall. Halkbank Ankara is currently the leading domestic powerhouse in Men 's Volleyball, having won many championships and cups in the Turkish Men 's Volleyball League and even the CEV Cup in 2013. Ankara Buz Pateni Sarayı is where the ice skating and ice hockey competitions take place in the city. There are many popular spots for skateboarding which is active in the city since the 1980s. Skaters in Ankara usually meet in the park near the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. The 2012 - built THF Sport Hall hosts the Handball Super League and Women 's Handball Super League matches scheduled in Ankara. Parks Göksu Park Gençlik Parkı ( The Youth Park ) Ankara has many parks and open spaces mainly established in the early years of the Republic and well maintained and expanded thereafter. The most important of these parks are : Gençlik Parkı ( houses an amusement park with a large pond for rowing ), the Botanical garden, Seğmenler Park, Anayasa Park, Kuğulu Park ( famous for the swans received as a gift from the Chinese government ), Abdi İpekçi Park, Esertepe Parkı, Güven Park ( see above for the monument ), Kurtuluş Park ( has an ice - skating rink ), Altınpark ( also a prominent exposition / fair area ), Harikalar Diyarı ( claimed to be Biggest Park of Europe inside city borders ) and Göksu Park. Gençlik Park was depicted on the reverse of the Turkish 100 lira banknotes of 1952 -- 1976. Atatürk Forest Farm and Zoo ( Atatürk Orman Çiftliği ) is an expansive recreational farming area which houses a zoo, several small agricultural farms, greenhouses, restaurants, a dairy farm and a brewery. It is a pleasant place to spend a day with family, be it for having picnics, hiking, biking or simply enjoying good food and nature. There is also an exact replica of the house where Atatürk was born in 1881, in Thessaloniki, Greece. Visitors to the `` Çiftlik '' ( farm ) as it is affectionately called by Ankarans, can sample such famous products of the farm such as old - fashioned beer and ice cream, fresh dairy products and meat rolls / kebaps made on charcoal, at a traditional restaurant ( Merkez Lokantası, Central Restaurant ), cafés and other establishments scattered around the farm. Education Universities Ankara is noted, within Turkey, for the multitude of universities it is home to. These include the following, several of them being among the most reputable in the country : Ankara University Başkent University TED University Altın Koza University Atılım University Turkish Aeronautical Association University Bilkent University Çankaya University Gazi University Hacettepe University Middle East Technical University TOBB University of Economics and Technology Ufuk University Yıldırım Beyazıt University Gülhane Military Medical Academy Turkish Military Academy Turkish National Police Academy TOBB University of Economics and Technology Ankara University Faculty of History and Geography ( 1940 ) Part of the METU campus, as seen from its MM Building An auditorium in METU The Medical School on the main campus of Hacettepe University ( 1967 ) Çankaya University ( 1997 ) Fauna Angora cat Main article : Turkish Angora Angora cat Ankara is home to a world - famous domestic cat breed -- the Turkish Angora, called Ankara kedisi ( Ankara cat ) in Turkish. Turkish Angoras are one of the ancient, naturally occurring cat breeds, having originated in Ankara and its surrounding region in central Anatolia. They mostly have a white, silky, medium to long length coat, no undercoat and a fine bone structure. There seems to be a connection between the Angora Cats and Persians, and the Turkish Angora is also a distant cousin of the Turkish Van. Although they are known for their shimmery white coat, currently there are more than twenty varieties including black, blue and reddish fur. They come in tabby and tabby - white, along with smoke varieties, and are in every color other than pointed, lavender, and cinnamon ( all of which would indicate breeding to an outcross. ) Eyes may be blue, green, or amber, or even one blue and one amber or green. The W gene which is responsible for the white coat and blue eye is closely related to the hearing ability, and the presence of a blue eye can indicate that the cat is deaf to the side the blue eye is located. However, a great many blue and odd - eyed white cats have normal hearing, and even deaf cats lead a very normal life if kept indoors. Ears are pointed and large, eyes are almond shaped and the head is massive with a two plane profile. Another characteristic is the tail, which is often kept parallel to the back. Angora rabbit Main article : Angora rabbit Angora rabbit The Angora rabbit ( Turkish : Ankara tavşanı ) is a variety of domestic rabbit bred for its long, soft hair. The Angora is one of the oldest types of domestic rabbit, originating in Ankara and its surrounding region in central Anatolia, along with the Angora cat and Angora goat. The rabbits were popular pets with French royalty in the mid-18th century, and spread to other parts of Europe by the end of the century. They first appeared in the United States in the early 20th century. They are bred largely for their long Angora wool, which may be removed by shearing, combing, or plucking ( gently pulling loose wool. ) Angoras are bred mainly for their wool because it is silky and soft. They have a humorous appearance, as they oddly resemble a fur ball. Most are calm and docile but should be handled carefully. Grooming is necessary to prevent the fiber from matting and felting on the rabbit. A condition called `` wool block '' is common in Angora rabbits and should be treated quickly. Sometimes they are shorn in the summer as the long fur can cause the rabbits to overheat. Angora goat Main article : Angora goat Angora goat The Angora goat ( Turkish : Ankara keçisi ) is a breed of domestic goat that originated in Ankara and its surrounding region in central Anatolia. This breed was first mentioned in the time of Moses, roughly in 1500 BC. The first Angora goats were brought to Europe by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, about 1554, but, like later imports, were not very successful. Angora goats were first introduced in the United States in 1849 by Dr. James P. Davis. Seven adult goats were a gift from Sultan Abdülmecid I in appreciation for his services and advice on the raising of cotton. The fleece taken from an Angora goat is called mohair. A single goat produces between five and eight kilograms ( 11 and 18 pounds ) of hair per year. Angoras are shorn twice a year, unlike sheep, which are shorn only once. Angoras have high nutritional requirements due to their rapid hair growth. A poor quality diet will curtail mohair development. The United States, Turkey, and South Africa are the top producers of mohair. For a long period of time, Angora goats were bred for their white coat. In 1998, the Colored Angora Goat Breeders Association was set up to promote breeding of colored Angoras. Today, Angora goats produce white, black ( deep black to greys and silver ), red ( the color fades significantly as the goat gets older ), and brownish fiber. Angora goats were depicted on the reverse of the Turkish 50 lira banknotes of 1938 -- 1952. Gallery Atakule Tower ( 1989 ) Sheraton Hotel & Convention Center ( 1991 ) BDDK Building ( 1975 ), formerly Türkiye İş Bankası headquarters, on Atatürk Boulevard Kahramanlar Business Center ( 1965 ) at Kızılay Square Esenboğa International Airport ( 2006 ) Esenboğa International Airport ( 2006 ) The historic Ankara Palas Hotel ( 1927 ) The historic Ankara Palas Hotel ( 1927 ) Entrance of the State Art and Sculpture Museum ( 1927 ) Yunus Emre Institute, originally the Tekel Building ( 1928 ) The historic Ziraat Bank Building ( 1929 ) Statue of Leyla Gencer in front of the Ankara Opera House ( 1933 ) View of central Ankara from the Botanical Park Güvenpark in Kızılay Square The third and current Grand National Assembly of Turkey building ( 1938 ) Crowne Plaza Hotel ( 2006 ) Radisson Blu Hotel, originally Stad Oteli ( 1970 ), was designed in 1964 by Doğan Tekeli, Sami Sisa and Metin Hepgüler Söğütözü business district in Yenimahalle, with the Armada Tower & Mall ( 2002 ) rising behind the Turkish flag Armada Tower & Mall ( 2002 ) Söğütözü business district in Yenimahalle Intercity Bus Terminal in Yenimahalle, Ankara TOBB Towers ( 2001 ) Portakal Çiçeği Residence in Ankara Halkbank Tower ( 1993 ) designed by Doğan Tekeli and Sami Sisa International relations See also : List of twin towns and sister cities in Turkey Twin towns and Sister cities Ankara is twinned with : Seoul, South Korea ( since 1971 ) Islamabad, Pakistan ( since 1982 ) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ( since 1984 ) Beijing, China ( since 1990 ) Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan ( since 1992 ) Budapest, Hungary ( since 1992 ) Khartoum, Sudan ( since 1992 ) Moscow, Russia ( since 1992 ) Sofia, Bulgaria ( since 1992 ) Havana, Cuba ( since 1993 ) Kiev, Ukraine ( since 1993 ) Ashgabat, Turkmenistan ( since 1994 ) Kuwait City, Kuwait ( since 1994 ) Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina ( since 1994 ) Tirana, Albania ( since 1995 ) Tbilisi, Georgia ( since 1996 ) Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia ( since 1997 ) Bucharest, Romania ( since 1998 ) Hanoi, Vietnam ( since 1998 ) Manama, Bahrain ( since 2000 ) Mogadishu, Somalia ( since 2000 ) Santiago, Chile ( since 2000 ) Astana, Kazakhstan ( since 2001 ) Dushanbe, Tajikistan ( since 2003 ) Kabul, Afghanistan ( since 2003 ) Ulan Bator, Mongolia ( since 2003 ) Cairo, Egypt ( since 2004 ) Chișinău, Moldova ( since 2004 ) Sana'a, Yemen ( since 2004 ) Tashkent, Uzbekistan ( since 2004 ) Pristina, Kosovo ( since 2005 ) Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia ( since 2005 ) Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo ( since 2005 ) Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ( since 2006 ) Minsk, Belarus ( since 2007 ) Zagreb, Croatia ( since 2008 ) Damascus, Syria ( since 2010 ) Bissau, Guinea - Bissau ( since 2011 ) Washington, D.C., USA ( since 2011 ) Bangkok, Thailand ( since 2012 ) Tehran, Iran ( since 2013 ) Partner cities Skopje, Macedonia ( since 1995 ) Vienna, Austria See also Ankara portal Angora cat Angora goat Angora rabbit Ankara Agreement Ankara Arena Ankara Central Station Ankara Esenboğa International Airport Ankara Metro Ankara Province Ankara University ATO Congresium Basil of Ancyra Battle of Ancyra Battle of Ankara Clement of Ancyra Gemellus of Ancyra History of Ankara List of hospitals in Ankara Province List of mayors of Ankara List of municipalities in Ankara Province List of people from Ankara List of tallest buildings in Ankara Marcellus of Ancyra Monumentum Ancyranum Nilus of Ancyra Roman Baths of Ankara Synod of Ancyra Theodotus of Ancyra ( bishop ) Theodotus of Ancyra ( martyr ) Timeline of Ankara Treaty of Ankara Victory Monument ( Ankara ) Notes Jump up ^ http://www.turkstat.gov.tr/PreHaberBultenleri.do?id=27587 Jump up ^ `` Ankara ''. Collins Dictionary. n.d. Retrieved 24 September 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Turkey : Major cities and provinces ''. citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2015 - 02 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Municipality of Ankara : Green areas per head ''. Ankara.bel.tr. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2010. ^ Jump up to : Chisholm 1911, pp. 40 -- 41. Jump up ^ `` Judy Turman : Early Christianity in Turkey ''. Socialscience.tjc.edu. Archived from the original on 15 November 2002. Retrieved 29 June 2010. Jump up ^ `` Saffet Emre Tonguç : Ankara ( Hürriyet Seyahat ) ''. Hurriyet.com.tr. Retrieved 29 June 2010. Jump up ^ Gorny, Ronald L. `` Zippalanda and Ankuwa : The Geography of Central Anatolia in the Second Millennium B.C. '' The Journal of the American Oriental Society. Vol. 117 ( 1997 ). ^ Jump up to : Baynes 1878, p. 45. Jump up ^ `` Ankara '' ( in Turkish ). Turkish State Meteorological Service. Retrieved 16 April 2016. Jump up ^ Türkiye istatistik kurumu Address - based population survey 2007. Retrieved on 9 October 2008. Jump up ^ Pausanias, Description of Greece, 1.4. 1., `` Ancyra was actually older even than that. '' Jump up ^ Livy, xxxviii. 16 ^ Jump up to : Belke, Klaus ( 1984 ). `` Ankyra ''. Tabula Imperii Byzantini, Band 4 : Galatien und Lykaonien ( in German ). Vienna : Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. pp. 126 -- 130. ISBN 978 - 3 - 7001 - 0634 - 0. Jump up ^ `` Gezenadam : `` Susuz Su Perileri '' ``. GezenAdam. Jump up ^ `` İnat değil kent kazandı ''. hurriyet.com.tr. 2010 - 12 - 20. Jump up ^ Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer ^ Jump up to : Rockwell 1911. Jump up ^ Parvis 2006, pp. 325 -- 345. Jump up ^ Gibbon, Edward. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. p. Chapter 23. ^ Jump up to : Bull Universi Dominici gregis, in Giovanni Domenico Mansi, Sacrorum Conciliorum Nova et Amplissima Collectio, vol. XL, coll. 779 -- 780 ^ Jump up to : F. Tournebize, v. II. Ancyre, évêché arménien catholique, in Dictionnaire d'Histoire et de Géographie ecclésiastiques, vol. II, Paris 1914, coll. 1543 -- 1546 Jump up ^ Annuario Pontificio 2013 ( Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 ISBN 978 - 88 - 209 - 9070 - 1 ), p. 832 Jump up ^ FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A. Ş. `` FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A. Ş. '' FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A. Ş. Jump up ^ `` Nurol Makina ve Sanayi A. Ş. '' nurolmakina.com.tr. Jump up ^ `` MAN Turkiye ''. man.com.tr. Jump up ^ `` EGO Genel Müdürlüğü ''. Ego.gov.tr. Archived from the original on 23 November 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2009. Jump up ^ `` Largest urban ropeway on Eurasian continent opens to celebrations in Ankara ''. Leitner ropeways. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 2014 - 05 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Successful inauguration of Ankara -- Istanbul High Speed Line ''. uic.org. Jump up ^ `` Ankara Public Transportation Statistics ''. Global Public Transit Index by Moovit. Retrieved June 19, 2017. Material was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Jump up ^ `` Turkish Protester Ethem Sarısülük Is Dead, Family Says ( UPDATED ) ''. The Huffington Post. Jump up ^ `` Turkey 's Prime Minister : Erdoğan v. judges, again ''. The Economist. 411 ( 8883 ) : 32 -- 36. 19 April 2014. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ `` Turkish opposition party will challenge Ankara vote -- Al - Monitor : the Pulse of the Middle East ''. Al - Monitor. Jump up ^ `` Is Something Rotten In Ankara 's Mayoral Election ? A Very Preliminary Statistical Analysis -- Erik Meyersson ''. Erik Meyersson. Jump up ^ Joe Parkinson And Emre Peker ( 1 April 2014 ). `` Turkish Opposition Cries Vote Fraud Amid Crackdown -- WSJ ''. WSJ. Jump up ^ `` Turkey 's opposition to contest Ankara local poll result, citing election fraud ''. voiceofrussia.com. Jump up ^ `` CHP 's Ankara candidate vows to defend votes as police crack down on protest -- POLITICS ''. hurriyetdailynews.com. Jump up ^ `` Turkey 's Weirdest Mayor Wo n't Be Distracted By Electoral Fraud Allegations ''. VICE News. Jump up ^ The citadel was depicted in the following Turkish banknotes : On the obverse of the 1 lira banknote of 1927 -- 1939 ( 1. Emission Group -- One Turkish Lira -- I. Series Archived 17 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine. ). On the obverse of the 5 lira banknote of 1927 -- 1937 ( 1. Emission Group -- Five Turkish Lira -- I. Series Archived 26 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine. ). On the reverse of the 10 lira banknote of 1927 -- 1938 ( 1. Emission Group -- Ten Turkish Lira -- I. Series Archived 26 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine. ). On the reverse of the 10 lira banknote of 1938 -- 1952 ( 2. Emission Group -- Ten Turkish Lira -- I. Series Archived 25 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine. ). On the reverse of the 100 lira banknotes of 1983 -- 1989 ( 7. Emission Group -- One Hundred Turkish Lira -- I. Series Archived 3 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine. & II. Series Archived 3 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine. ). Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey Archived 3 June 2009 at WebCite. Banknote Museum. -- Links retrieved on 20 April 2009. `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 17 April 2009. Retrieved 2009 - 04 - 20. Jump up ^ Chisholm 1911b, p. 953. Jump up ^ `` Roma Yolu ''. arkitera.com. 14 March 2007. Retrieved 10 June 2013. Jump up ^ Sargın, Haluk ( 2012 ). Antik Ankara ( in Turkish ). Ankara : Arkadaş Yayınevi. pp. 126, 127, 128. ISBN 978 - 975 - 509 - 719 - 0. Jump up ^ ( in Turkish ) Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque has been opened for prayers Archived 18 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ SonTech Yazılım. `` : Hacı Bayram - ı Veli :. hacıbayramveli, hacı bayramveli, haci bayrami veli, hacıbayram, nasihatleri, hacı bayram cami, hayatı, hacıbayram - ı veli ''. Hacibayramiveli.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2009. Jump up ^ `` Museums -- Ankara.com : City guide of Turkey 's Capital ''. Retrieved 8 July 2016. Jump up ^ Ministry of Culture page. ( in Turkish ) Jump up ^ Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey Archived 3 June 2009 at WebCite. Banknote Museum : 2. Emission Group -- Five Turkish Lira -- I. Series Archived 17 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine... -- Retrieved on 20 April 2009. Jump up ^ Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey Archived 3 June 2009 at WebCite. Banknote Museum : 2. Emission Group -- One Thousand Turkish Lira -- I. Series Archived 25 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine. & II. Series Archived 17 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine... -- Retrieved on 20 April 2009. Jump up ^ History of Ankara ( in Turkish ) Jump up ^ `` Eski Han'a yeni çehre : Suluhan / Kent Tarihi / milliyet blog ''. Retrieved 8 July 2016. Jump up ^ Tuncer, Mehmet. `` Ankara : ESKİ HAN'A YENİ ÇEHRE : SULUHAN ''. Retrieved 8 July 2016. Jump up ^ `` Index of / ''. Boorkestrasi.com. Archived from the original on 22 March 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2009. Jump up ^ Planet, Lonely. `` Museum of Anatolian Civilisations -- Lonely Planet ''. Retrieved 8 July 2016. Jump up ^ `` Ethnography Museum of Ankara -- Müze ''. Retrieved 8 July 2016. Jump up ^ `` Ankara Art and Sculpture Museum Directorate ''. Retrieved 8 July 2016. Jump up ^ `` Turkish Air Force > Turkish Air Force > Air Force Museums > Ankara Aviation Museum ''. Retrieved 8 July 2016. Jump up ^ `` Ankara 19 Mayıs Stadium ''. World Stadiums. Retrieved 29 June 2010. Jump up ^ `` Hentbol - Şampiyon kim olacak ? ''. Sports TV ( in Turkish ). 20 May 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2013. Jump up ^ Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey Archived 3 June 2009 at WebCite. Banknote Museum : 5. Emission Group -- One Hundred Turkish Lira -- I. Series Archived 4 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine., II. Series Archived 4 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine., III. Series Archived 4 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine., IV. Series Archived 4 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine., V. Series Archived 4 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine. & VI. Series Archived 17 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine... -- Retrieved on 20 April 2009. Jump up ^ `` Angora Rabbit Breeds -- How to Care for Your Angora Rabbit ''. Archived from the original on 25 January 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2009. Jump up ^ Carol Ekarius ( 10 September 2008 ). Storey 's Illustrated Breed Guide to Sheep, Goats, Cattle, and Pigs : 163 Breeds from Common to Rare. Storey Publishing. p. 150. ISBN 978 - 1 - 60342 - 037 - 2. Jump up ^ `` Angora Goats history ''. Daisyshillfarm.com. Archived from the original on 3 July 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2010. Jump up ^ Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey Archived 3 June 2009 at WebCite. Banknote Museum : 2. Emission Group -- Fifty Turkish Lira -- I. Series Archived 25 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine. ; 3. Emission Group -- Fifty Turkish Lira -- I. Series Archived 25 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine. & II. Series Archived 17 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine... -- Retrieved on 20 April 2009. Jump up ^ `` Sister Cities of Ankera ''. Ankera, Turkey : T.C. Ankara Büyükþehir Belediyesi Baþkanlýðý. Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 13. Jump up ^ `` International Cooperation : Sister Cities ''. Seoul Metropolitan Government. www.seoul.go.kr. Archived from the original on 10 December 2007. Retrieved 26 January 2008. Jump up ^ `` Seoul - Sister Cities ( via WayBackMachine ) ''. Seoul Metropolitan Government ( archived 2012 - 04 - 25 ). Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2013. Jump up ^ `` Sister Cities ''. Beijing Municipal Government. Retrieved 23 June 2009. Jump up ^ daenet d.o.o. `` Sarajevo Official Web Site : Sister cities ''. Sarajevo.ba. Archived from the original on 12 April 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009. Jump up ^ `` Twinning Cities : International Relations '' ( PDF ). Municipality of Tirana. www.tirana.gov.al. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 10 October 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2009. Jump up ^ `` Tbilisi Sister Cities ''. Tbilisi City Hall. Tbilisi Municipal Portal. Archived from the original on 24 July 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2013. Jump up ^ `` Oraşe înfrăţite ( Twin cities of Minsk ) ( via WaybackMachine.com ) '' ( in Romanian ). Primăria Municipiului Chişinău. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2013. Jump up ^ `` Twin towns and Sister cities of Minsk ( via WaybackMachine.com ) '' ( in Russian ). The department of protocol and international relations of Minsk City Executive Committee. Archived from the original on 2 May 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2013. Jump up ^ `` Signing Sister City Protocol between Zagreb and Ankara ''. Ankara Metropolitan Municipality. 27 October 2008. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Jump up ^ `` Frequently Asked Questions -- Office of Protocol and International Affairs ''. District of Columbia. Retrieved 18 September 2012. Jump up ^ Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ; Greater Ankara Municipality ( 21 March 2012 ). `` Friendship and cooperation agreement between Bangkok Metropolitan Administration of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Greater Ankara Municipality of the Republic of Turkey '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ `` Tehran, Ankara to Sign Sister City Agreement Today ''. FarsNews. Retrieved 2013 - 12 - 18. Jump up ^ `` Kardeş Kentleri Lists ve 5 Mayıs Avrupa Günü Kutlaması ( via WaybackMachine.com ) '' ( in Turkish ). Ankara Büyükşehir Belediyesi -- Tüm Hakları Saklıdır. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 21 July 2013. References Baynes, T.S., ed. ( 1878 ). `` Angora ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. 2 ( 9th ed. ). New York : Charles Scribner 's Sons. p. 45. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. ( 1911b ). `` Ancyra ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. 1 ( 11th ed. ). Cambridge University Press. p. 953. Parvis, Sarah ( 2006 ). Marcellus of Ancyra And the Lost Years of the Arian Controversy 325 -- 345. New York : Oxford University Press. 43. ilişki durumu evli izle Attribution This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Chisholm, Hugh, ed. ( 1911 ). `` Angora ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. 2 ( 11th ed. ). Cambridge University Press. pp. 40 -- 41. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Rockwell, William Walker ( 1911 ). `` Ancyra ''. In Chisholm, Hugh. Encyclopædia Britannica. 1 ( 11th ed. ). Cambridge University Press. Further reading `` Members of Staff of the Museum '' ( 2006 ). Guide book to The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. Ankara : `` The association for the support and encouragement of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. '' Dönmez offset ( Printer ). ISBN 978 - 975 - 17 - 2198 - 3. Sources and external links Wikimedia Commons has media related to : Ankara ( category ) Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Ankara. Governorate of Ankara Municipality of Ankara GCatholic - ( former and ) Latin titular see GCatholic - former and titular Armenian Catholic see Ankara Development Agency Esenboğa International Airport Geographic data related to Ankara at OpenStreetMap City of Ankara Bridges Culture Cycling Economy Education History ( Timeline ) Libraries Mayors Tallest buildings Topography Tourism Transportation AŞTİ Esenboğa Etimesgut Metro EGO Museums Anıtkabir Atatürk Museum Mansion Pembe Köşk Museum of Anatolian Civilizations Çengelhan Rahmi M. Koç Museum Ethnography Museum Feza Gürsey Science Center Mehmet Akif Ersoy Literature Museum Library METU Science and Technology Museum MİT Museum of Espionage Roman Baths of Ankara State Art and Sculpture Museum TCDD Open Air Steam Locomotive Museum Ulucanlar Prison Museum War of Independence Museum Theatres 125th Anniversary Çayyolu Stage Altındağ Theatre Ankara Opera House İrfan Şahinbaş Workshop Stage Küçük Theatre Mahir Canova Stage Muhsin Ertuğrul Stage Oda Theatre Şinasi Stage Concert halls Ankara Opera House Bilkent Concert Hall Çankaya Çağdaş Sanatlar Merkezi Concert Hall CSO Concert Hall IF Performance Hall Jolly Joker MEB Şura Salonu Sport venues Ankara 19 Mayıs Stadium Ankara 75th Anniversary Race Course Ankara Aktepe Stadium Ankara Arena ASKI Sport Hall Ankara Atatürk Sport Hall Başkent Volleyball Hall Cebeci İnönü Stadium Ankara Ice Skating Palace Selim Sırrı Tarcan Sport Hall THF Sport Hall Osmanlı Stadyumu High schools Atatürk Anadolu Lisesi Atatürk Lisesi Milli Piyango Anadolu Lisesi Science High School Dr. Binnaz Rıdvan Ege Anadolu Lisesi Gazi Anadolu Lisesi Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle, Ankara TED Ankara College Foundation Schools TVF Fine Arts and Sports High School Universities Colleges Ankara University Atılım University Bilkent University Çankaya University Gazi University Hacettepe University Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory Middle East Technical University TOBB University of Economics and Technology Turkish National Police Academy Yıldırım Beyazıt University Religious buildings Ankara Synagogue Aslanhane Mosque Hacı Bayram Mosque Kocatepe Mosque Maltepe Mosque St. Térèse Church Parks Altınpark Atatürk Forest Farm and Zoo Esertepe Park Gençlik Parkı Gökçek Park Göksu Park Güvenpark Kuğulu Park Wonderland Ankara Streets Squares 7th Street Atatürk Boulevard Ayten Sokak Cinnah Caddesi Gazi Mustafa Kemal Boulevard İsmet İnönü Boulevard Kızılay Square Mevlana Boulevard Mithatpaşa Avenue Sıhhiye Square Süslü Sokak Ulus Square Zafer Square Others Ankara Castle Çayyolu Hittite Sun Course Monument Kavaklıdere Keçiören Gondola Roman Road of Ankara Victory Monument Tomb of Karyağdı Hatun Central Anatolia Region Turkey Capitals of European states and territories Capitals of dependent territories and states whose sovereignty is disputed shown in italics. Western Amsterdam, Netherlands Andorra la Vella, Andorra Bern, Switzerland Brussels, Belgium Douglas, Isle of Man ( UK ) Dublin, Ireland London, United Kingdom Luxembourg, Luxembourg Paris, France Saint Helier, Jersey ( UK ) Saint Peter Port, Guernsey ( UK ) Northern Copenhagen, Denmark Helsinki, Finland Longyearbyen, Svalbard ( Norway ) Mariehamn, Åland Islands ( Finland ) Nuuk, Greenland ( Denmark ) Olonkinbyen, Jan Mayen ( Norway ) Oslo, Norway Reykjavík, Iceland Stockholm, Sweden Tórshavn, Faroe Islands ( Denmark ) Central Berlin, Germany Bratislava, Slovakia Budapest, Hungary Ljubljana, Slovenia Prague, Czech Republic Vaduz, Liechtenstein Vienna, Austria Warsaw, Poland Southern Ankara, Turkey Athens, Greece Belgrade, Serbia Bucharest, Romania Gibraltar, Gibraltar ( UK ) Lisbon, Portugal Madrid, Spain Monaco, Monaco Nicosia, Cyprus North Nicosia, Northern Cyprus Podgorica, Montenegro Pristina, Kosovo Rome, Italy San Marino, San Marino Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Skopje, Macedonia Sofia, Bulgaria Tirana, Albania Valletta, Malta Vatican City, Vatican City Zagreb, Croatia Eastern Astana, Kazakhstan Baku, Azerbaijan Chișinău, Moldova Kiev, Ukraine Minsk, Belarus Moscow, Russia Riga, Latvia Stepanakert, Artsakh Sukhumi, Abkhazia Tallinn, Estonia Tbilisi, Georgia Tiraspol, Transnistria Tskhinvali, South Ossetia Vilnius, Lithuania Yerevan, Armenia Also the capital of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Also the seat of the European Union, see Institutional seats of the European Union and Brussels and the European Union Transcontinental country Entirely in Southwest Asia but having socio - political connections with Europe Partially recognised country Capitals of Asia Dependent territories and states with limited recognition are in italics North and Central Asia South Asia Southeast Asia West and Southwest Asia Ashgabat, Turkmenistan Astana, Kazakhstan * Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Dushanbe, Tajikistan Moscow, Russia * Tashkent, Uzbekistan East Asia Beijing, China Hong Kong, Hong Kong ( China ) Macau, Macau ( China ) Pyongyang, North Korea Seoul, South Korea Taipei, Taiwan ( ROC ) Tokyo, Japan Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Kabul, Afghanistan Dhaka, Bangladesh Diego Garcia, BIOT ( UK ) Islamabad, Pakistan Kathmandu, Nepal Kotte, Sri Lanka Malé, Maldives New Delhi, India Thimphu, Bhutan Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Bangkok, Thailand Dili, East Timor Flying Fish Cove, Christmas Island ( Australia ) Hanoi, Vietnam Jakarta, Indonesia * Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Manila, Philippines Naypyidaw, Myanmar Phnom Penh, Cambodia Central Area, Singapore Vientiane, Laos West Island, Cocos ( Keeling ) Islands ( Australia ) Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Amman, Jordan Ankara, Turkey * Baghdad, Iraq Baku, Azerbaijan * Beirut, Lebanon Cairo, Egypt * Kazakhstan, Almaty * Doha, Qatar Jerusalem, Israel / Palestine † Kuwait City, Kuwait Manama, Bahrain Muscat, Oman Nicosia, Cyprus * North Nicosia, Northern Cyprus * Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Sana'a, Yemen Stepanakert, Artsakh * Sukhumi, Abkhazia * Tbilisi, Georgia * Tehran, Iran Tskhinvali, South Ossetia * Yerevan, Armenia * * Transcontinental country. † Disputed. See : Positions on Jerusalem. Capital cities of the Candidate Countries of the European Union Turkey : Ankara Serbia : Belgrade Montenegro : Podgorica Republic of Macedonia : Skopje Albania : Tirana Ankara in Ankara Province of Turkey Districts Akyurt Altındağ Ayaş Bala Beypazarı Çamlıdere Çankaya Çubuk Elmadağ Etimesgut Evren Gölbaşı Güdül Haymana Kalecik Kazan Keçiören Kızılcahamam Mamak Nallıhan Polatlı Pursaklar Sincan Şereflikoçhisar Yenimahalle List of Provinces by Region Istanbul Istanbul West Marmara Balıkesir Çanakkale Edirne Kırklareli Tekirdağ Aegean Afyonkarahisar Aydın Denizli İzmir Kütahya Manisa Muğla Uşak East Marmara Bilecik Bolu Bursa Düzce Eskişehir Kocaeli Sakarya Yalova West Anatolia Ankara Karaman Konya Mediterranean Adana Antalya Burdur Hatay Isparta Kahramanmaraş Mersin Osmaniye Central Anatolia Aksaray Kayseri Kırıkkale Kırşehir Nevşehir Niğde Sivas Yozgat West Black Sea Amasya Bartın Çankırı Çorum Karabük Kastamonu Samsun Sinop Tokat Zonguldak East Black Sea Artvin Giresun Gümüşhane Ordu Rize Trabzon Northeast Anatolia Ağrı Ardahan Bayburt Erzincan Erzurum Iğdır Kars Central East Anatolia Bingöl Bitlis Elazığ Hakkâri Malatya Muş Tunceli Van Southeast Anatolia Adıyaman Batman Diyarbakır Gaziantep Kilis Mardin Siirt Şanlıurfa Şırnak Metropolitan municipalities are bolded. Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey Adana Ankara Antalya Aydın Balıkesir Bursa Denizli Diyarbakır Erzurum Eskişehir Gaziantep Hatay İstanbul İzmir Kayseri Kocaeli Konya Kahramanmaraş Malatya Manisa Mardin Mersin Muğla Ordu Sakarya Samsun Şanlıurfa Tekirdağ Trabzon Van VIAF : 134850266 LCCN : n78095510 GND : 4002075 - 7 NDL : 00628181 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ankara&oldid=825958635 '' Categories : Ankara Capitals in Asia Capitals in Europe Populated places in Ankara Province Hidden categories : CS1 Turkish - language sources ( tr ) CS1 German - language sources ( de ) Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL Webarchive template wayback links Webarchive template webcite links Articles with Turkish - language external links CS1 Romanian - language sources ( ro ) CS1 Russian - language sources ( ru ) Use dmy dates from March 2014 Coordinates on Wikidata Articles with hAudio microformats Articles containing Greek - language text Articles containing Ancient Greek - language text Articles needing additional references from October 2017 All articles needing additional references All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2012 Articles containing Latin - language text Articles containing Turkish - language text Pages using div col with deprecated parameters Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from EB9 Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikimedia Commons Wikinews Wikivoyage Acèh Адыгэбзэ Адыгабзэ Afrikaans Akan Alemannisch አማርኛ Ænglisc Аҧсшәа Aragonés ܐܪܡܝܐ Arpetan Asturianu Авар Aymar aru Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه Bamanankan বাংলা Bahasa Banjar Bân - lâm - gú Башҡортса Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български བོད ་ ཡིག Bosanski Brezhoneg Буряад Català Чӑвашла Cebuano Čeština Chamoru ChiShona ChiTumbuka Cymraeg Dansk Davvisámegiella Deutsch Dolnoserbski Eesti Ελληνικά Эрзянь Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Fiji Hindi Føroyskt Français Frysk Gaeilge Gaelg Gagauz Gàidhlig Galego Gĩkũyũ 客家 語 / Hak - kâ - ngî 한국어 Hawaiʻi Հայերեն हिन्दी Hornjoserbsce Hrvatski Ido Ilokano Bahasa Indonesia Interlingua Interlingue Ирон Íslenska Italiano עברית Basa Jawa Kalaallisut ಕನ್ನಡ ქართული Kaszëbsczi Қазақша Kinyarwanda Kirundi Kiswahili Kreyòl ayisyen Kurdî Кыргызча Кырык мары Ladino Лакку ລາວ لۊری شومالی Latina Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Ligure Limburgs Lingála Lumbaart Magyar मैथिली Македонски മലയാളം Māori मराठी მარგალური مصرى مازِرونی Bahasa Melayu Baso Minangkabau Mìng - dĕ̤ng - ngṳ̄ Мокшень Монгол မြန်မာဘာသာ Na Vosa Vakaviti Nederlands नेपाली 日本 語 Нохчийн Nordfriisk Norfuk / Pitkern Norsk Norsk nynorsk Novial Occitan Олык марий ଓଡ଼ିଆ Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی Papiamentu پښتو Patois Перем Коми Picard Piemontèis Plattdüütsch Polski Português Qaraqalpaqsha Qırımtatarca Română Runa Simi Русский Саха тыла Scots Shqip Sicilianu Simple English سنڌي Slovenčina Slovenščina Словѣньскъ / ⰔⰎⰑⰂⰡⰐⰠⰔⰍⰟ Ślůnski Soomaaliga کوردی Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் Taqbaylit Татарча / tatarça తెలుగు Tetun ไทย Тоҷикӣ Türkçe Twi Удмурт Українська اردو ئۇيغۇرچە / Uyghurche Vèneto Vepsän kel ' Tiếng Việt Volapük Võro Winaray Wolof 吴语 ייִדיש Yorùbá 粵語 Zazaki Zeêuws Žemaitėška 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 16 February 2018, at 11 : 18. 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Question: when was ankara made the capital of turkey
Answer: 1923