Sprawling and packed with things to do, the capital of Ankara comes complete with Byzantine fortresses and some of Turkey’s top museums. It’s best explored in the company of a qualified tourHQ guide.
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The onetime tabula rasa of the modern Turkish state and protégée of the much-loved Ataturk, the city of of Ankara has risen from obscurity in the last century to become one of the country’s most populous, liberal and forward-thinking metropolises; a hotspot for western values, big business, cutting-edge research and contemporary art, architecture and culture.
Sprawled out over no less than 24,000 square kilometres of Turkey’s central highlands, Ankara’s must see monuments and sights are peppered across its various districts, hidden amidst the high-rises and skyscrapers of downtown (such as the massive Museum of Anatolian Civilisations), or perched high on hills above the city (like the honorific Anit Kabir monument to the city’s patron, or the formidable Byzantine Citadel of 900 AD).
Many Ankara tourist guides recommend coming in early spring, when the weather is mild and the city comes alive with a myriad of cultural events, from the eclectic International Music Festival to the Ankara Jazz Fest in May. What’s more, the city is hailed as one of the homes of the iconic Turkish doner kebab, and foodies should be sure to sample the great outlets around the gastronomic haven of Sakarya Street and Olgunlar.
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