Ankara is the capital of Türkiye and the country’s second largest city after Istanbul and it lies in the heart of Anatolia, an historical treasure at an altitude of 850 meters.

Ankara, formerly named “Ancyra” by the Celts (meaning “anchor”), was an important cultural, trading and arts center in Roman times, and an important trading center on the caravan route to the east in Ottoman times. By consequence of being chosen as the base during the War of Liberation by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the city was declared the capital of the Republic of Türkiye in 1923.

Ankara is a modern city with a population of over 5 million, maintaining the traces of civilizations dating back to the Bronze Age, to the Hittites, Phrygians, Lydians and Persians. The Romans and the Byzantines have also left their marks in the region.

On an imposing hill in the center of Ankara, stands the Mausoleum (Anitkabir) of Kemal Atatürk, a fusion of ancient and modern architectural ideas. The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations houses a unique collection of treasures dating back to 2000 B.C.

Besides the historical monuments within the heart of the city such as the Roman Theater, Ankara Citadel, Temple of Augustus, Roman Bath and the Column of Julian, the city’s environs are also rich with ancient ruins. Ankara is surrounded by Hittite, Phrygian, Ottoman, Byzantine and Roman historical sites.

Ankara is a center for opera, ballet, jazz and modern dance as well as the home of the Turkish Parliament, ministries, foreign embassies and sixteen universities.

Shopping in Ankara can be exciting in the old part of the town (Ankara Citadel) for buying old copper, jewelry, carpets and kilims, antiques and embroidery. Modern shopping malls are scattered in and around the city selling various new items.