Ankara Turkey

Archeological excavations show that Ankara’s past extends way back to the Palaeolithic Ages and one of the early settlers was the Hittites (1750-1200 BC). However, the first important settlers of Ankara were the Phrygians (750-500 BC). According to the legend, Ankara was founded by the Phrygian King Midas, who was known to have donkey ears. The King Midas created a knot to tie his chariot in a town called Gordium (Gordian knot) and declared that the man, who unties this knot will conquer Asia. When Alexander, the Great, in his quest to conquer Persia and beyond, spend the winter of 334-333 BC in Gordium, cut the knot with his sword.

The Phrygians when they founded this town gave the name Ankyra, which sounded like “Anchor”. After the Phrygians, Ankara was ruled by the Galatians, Romans, Arabs, Byzantines, Mongols, and Turks. Towards the end of the Seljuk reign the Mongols invaded most of the towns in the area including Ankara. Also during this time town’s name is changed to Engürü and Angora, which is very close to what is called now. The Ottomans captured it in 1356. During the invasion of Tamerlane. Ankara’s Çubuk plain was the battlefield where the Sultan Bayezid I and Tamerlane’s armies fought. On October. 13, 1923 Ankara became the capital of Modern Turkey.

The Roman Bath and Palaestra

In Ankara, very close to the city’s old center, the Ulus Square, there is a bath built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Caracalla (211 – 217 A.D.) It has all the salient features of a typical Roman bath with its frigidarium (cold section), tepidarium (warm section), caldarium (hot section). Also in frigidarium there is a section called piscina, which is a swimming pool and apoditorium (undressing hall). Additionally in caldarium there is a place for massaging.

Palaestra (sport square)

Palaestra is a sports arena, next to the Roman bath in Ankara. It seems like, the bath and palaestra (sports area) are an integrated facility for the city dwellers. However, other than a few broken columns and stones not much left to give more information about this ancient place.

The Julian Column

It was built in the honor of the Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate’s visit to Ankyra in 362. it was constructed by placing cylindrical flat bricks on top of each other. The column sits on a square pedestal. It is 15 meters (49 feet) tall. It is in walking distance from the Roman Bath and Augustus Temple. Based on some of its features some experts claim that it was erected much later in the early Byzantine period (361-363 AD) not in the Julianus’ time.

The Ankara Castle

It is in Ulus, close to the Roman Bath, built on top of a high rocky hill, with steep sides. The Ankara Citadel consists of inner and outer walls. The inner walls were supplemented by forty two towers. The outer walls, on the other hand, have twenty towers. It has a base approximately 150m x 350m (492 ft x 1,148 ft). Most of the outer walls were destroyed; however, inner walls were left intact. Although the original construction can be traced back to the Phrygians in the 8th century BC, It is known that today’s Ankara Citadel was built by the Galatians in 278 BC. Since then it was repaired numerous times by the Romans, Byzantines, and Seljuks. Currently most of the Citadel was settled by locals. Some palaces were restored. Variety of restaurants were opened in the restored houses.

The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations

Housed in the two historic buildings left from the Ottomans, namely Mahmut Paşa Bedesten and Kurşunlu Han, the museum has exhibition sections displaying the past of Asia Minor starting from the Palaeolithic Age. The museum, which is located in the district called Atpazarı in Ulus, south of Citadel, has a collection of material from many corners of Asia Minor. It was designed such a way that the different periods of the history are displayed in the chronological order.

The major periods and civilizations in exhibit are:

The Augustus and Roman Temple

Some references claim that the Augustus Temple was originally built towards the end of the 2nd century BC. In the Roman Emperor Augustus‘ time it was repaired and new columns were added. Later it was used as a church by the Byzantines. On the other hand according to some other references the temple was built after the conquest of Galatia (Asia Minor) by Caesar Augustus in 25 BC. The writings carved onto the walls of the Temple after the emperor’s death telling his successes and achievements have a historical importance. The Ottomans built Hacı Bayram Cami next to it and converted the whole complex to a masque. However, later during the Turkish Republic, it was restored back to a temple. Currently it is not open to public.

The Ethnographical Museum of Ankara

The Ethnographical Museum was built in Namazgah district of Ankara, on a hill called Muslim Graveyard. Under the leadership of first, Professor Celal Esad Arseven (1924) and later, the director of İstanbul Museum, Halil Ethem (1925), a special commission was set up to collect and buy works of historical value. Purchased 1250 pieces of work were exhibited in the completed Museum in 1927. Hamit Zübeyir Koşay was assigned as the Museum director. In April 1925 Mustafa Kemal Paşa during his visit to the Museum requested that Museum be opened during the Afghan King Amanullah’s visit. Museum was opened to public in 1938. However, in November of the same year, it became the temporary resting place for Mustafa Kemal Paşa’s body until the permanent Mausoleum was completed in 1953. During this period the work on Museum continued and between October 6 – 14, 1964 it was reopened to public.

The architect of the building, Arif Hikmet Koyunluoğlu was considered as one of the best of his time in the Turkish Republic. The building is rectangular and has a single dome. The stone walls are covered with lime stone and center of the building was made of marble and emblazoned with carvings. The main entrance is reached by climbing 28 steps and entrance has three doors. The entrance leads to the main section of the building, which is the area under the dome. Proceeding further takes the visitors to the atrium. Originally a fountain was built in this section and the roof was left open. However, when the body of Atatürk was housed here the fountain was moved outside and the roof was completely covered.

Around the atrium there are small and big symmetrically positioned salons. The Statue of Atatürk on a horse at the front of the building was made by famous Italian sculptor B. Conanica. Ethnographical museum exhibits samples of works from the Seljuk Turks to the present-day Republic of Turkey.

The wedding in Anatolia, wedding dresses from different corners of Anatolia, Turkish needle work, samples of carpets and kilims, metal work, coffee culture, and circumcision ceremony exhibits are on the right side of the museum entrance. Where as, in the salons, to the left of the entrance, china and glass works, the Ottoman period calligraphy, and rare wooden art work from the Seljuk and Ottoman period are exhibited.

The Atatürk’s Mausoleum

Atatürk died on November 10, 1938, at 9.05 am in the Dolmabahçe Palace in İstanbul. The Turkish nation knowing that they owe to their great leader, their independence, their existence, and their sole, wanted to make him live in their hearts and minds for ever and pay tribute by creating a resting place for him in the heart of Ankara, worth to his name. Atatürk has never suggested a burial place for himself. He, in his visit to the Rasattepe hill, one of the highest points in Ankara, mentioned that this place could be a home to a great monument. Based on this short conversation, Rasattepe was chosen to build an impressive monument. Later the hill took the name Anıttepe reflecting the existence of the monument.

The contest was won by then two famous Turkish architects, Emin Onat and Orhan Arda. The construction started on October 9, 1944. It took nine years to complete it and it was called Anıtkabir. In the mean time his body was kept in a catafalque in the Dolmabahçe Palace, in İstanbul first, and later it was brought to Ankara and buried in a tomb in the Ethnographical Museum and was kept there until the Mausoleum was ready. Finally, with a grandeur ceremony he was buried in his permanent resting place.

Mausoleum consists of three distinct sections. These are Aslanlı yol, Tören Alanı, and Şeref Salonu.

Aslanlı yol is 262 meters (860 feet) long. As the name suggests it has lion statues on both sides of this road. Aslanlı yol is elevated 26 steps above the nearby entrance. It leads to the Tören Alanı, which is 129m x 84.5m (423 ft x 277 feet). However, the most impressive section of the structure is Şeref Salonu, the Hall of Honor, which is elevated 42 steps above the plaza and surrounded by a colonnade on all sides. Atatürk’s symbolic tomb, made from 44-tone solid granite, is located at the back of this colossal structure. He was actually buried in a real grave in the basement with a piece of earth brought from each province and Northern Cyprus.

On the opposite side of the Parading Ground, lays the tomb of İsmet İnönü, who died on Dec. 25, 1973, the closest military friend of Atatürk, the commander of the Western Front in the war, and the second president of the Turkish Republic.

The Hall of Honor and the rest of the Mausoleum house a variety of museums. One of them is called Anıtkabir Museum, which is in the South West part of the Hall of Honor, where Atatürk’s private belongings and gifts he received are exhibited. In another museum his book collection is displayed.