Two Days in Ankara

Most visitors pass through Ankara on the way to Cappadocia, which is a pity: the capital holds one of the best archaeology collections in the country. Its museums fall into two clusters. The old town lies between the citadel and Ulus Square, the historic centre, and Anıtkabir, Atatürk's mausoleum, stands on a hill further south-west. This route walks the old town on day one and gives day two to the early Republic. Everything in Ulus is walkable; for Anıtkabir take a taxi or public transport.

Day 1

Begin at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. It occupies two Ottoman buildings, a covered market (bedesten) and a caravanserai (han), at the southern foot of the citadel. The galleries run in date order from the Palaeolithic to the Phrygians and Urartians. The finds from Çatalhöyük and the Hittite reliefs are the reason to come; allow two hours at least, three if you read the labels. Afterwards climb the lane to the walls of Ankara Castle and the old houses inside them. The castle is not a separate entry in our data, but you pass it anyway.

In the afternoon walk north-west to the Hacı Bayram district. The Temple of Augustus stands against the wall of Hacı Bayram Mosque. The Latin and Greek text on its walls is the best preserved copy of the account Augustus wrote of his own reign. You will cross the mosque courtyard, so covered shoulders and knees make things easier. A few streets away, the Roman Baths of Ankara is an excavated site where the brick pillars of the underfloor heating are still in place; half an hour is enough.

End the day at the War of Independence Museum on Ulus Square. This is the building where the Turkish Grand National Assembly first met in 1920, and the debating chamber keeps its original benches. Allow about an hour.

Day 2

Stay in Ulus for the morning. The Republic Museum is the second parliament building, used from 1924, and sits very close to the first. Then walk up Namazgah Hill to the Ethnography Museum of Ankara, with Anatolian costume, carpets and carved woodwork in a building from the early Republican years.

Give the afternoon to Anıtkabir. You walk the Road of Lions to the ceremonial square and climb to the mausoleum; the Atatürk and War of Independence Museum beneath the Hall of Honour is larger than most people expect. Allow three hours for the whole complex. There is security screening at the gate and the grounds are wide and exposed, so carry water and a hat in summer and a warm layer against the wind in winter.

Practical notes

Some museums close one day a week; check the hours on each museum page before you go. The Müzekart, the Turkish state museum pass, may be valid at the state-run sites; confirm on the official list. For a wider view of the city see the Ankara page, and to continue across Central Anatolia combine this route with Cappadocia in three days or a day in Konya.