Ankara is the capital of Turkey with about 5 million residents but it’s so much more. Yes you’ll find the government buildings like courthouses, administrative, and parliament, but you’ll also find the university life, lush beautiful parks, amazing museums, large impressive mosques, and some delicious food! We rarely saw tourists, for sure no tour buses. It almost felt like we were just walking through a city doing normal life, the daily commute, with the people. It was refreshing as most of the other cities we’ve been to have catered to tourists. In Ankara, we just walked among the locals like no problem.
Where to Stay
Ankara is sprawling. It’s a huge city with lots of traffic, public transportation and the hustle/bustle of a big city. That being said, we stayed right downtown, within walking distance of Gençlik Parkı, because that was within walking distance to all the other things we wanted to do. The hotel parked our car and we enjoyed the city on foot. I actually wouldn’t advise driving in Ankara as the roads are so much more twisty and confusing. We actually got lost 3 times trying to get to our hotel even with a GPS. This is rare for us but with so many small alleys, turn offs, and traffic, it was hard to tell where to go. Also the parking situation downtown Ankara is atrocious with cars triple parked on roads.
What To Do
The main attractions are Museums, Parks, and Shopping/Eating.
Museums
Ankara has more museums than almost anywhere I’ve been before. By now you realize that I love the Turkey Museum Pass so we only went to museums that we got into for free with the pass. We were able to do all 7 of these in one day (10am-4pm) with a stop for lunch. Below we’ve ranked them from favorite to least.
- Museum of Anatolian Civilizations – definitely the largest of the museums, this place houses many fascinating artifacts dating back thousands of years. While there may be too many artifacts to see here, I appreciate all the information and details provided. Everything here predates modern Turkey and is focused on civilizations of the past. The building itself is worth visiting as it’s incredibly large and really well preserved. If you are in the area, make sure to walk through the Ankara Castle, just a block up the hill. The Castle is free to enter as it’s just restaurants and small shops now. There is one view point where you can climb the stairs and see views of the whole city. It’s a nice way to see the town.
- Republic Museum (The Second Parliament Building) – we are really interested in the history of places we visit. This museum gave the most history of Mustafa Ataturk of all the museums we visited. The primary focus is to show the parliament area where they used to meet. As the name implies, this is the second parliament building because the first one got too small. However, the information didn’t tell too much about the why behind the war. Instead, it showcases the leaders’ lives, what they wore, and some of their actions. Still good, but not information heavy.
- Museum of the War of Independence – located in the first parliament building just down the road on the same block, this is a much smaller museum than Republic Museum. While you can walk through the first parliament room, there wasn’t much other information here besides seeing the inside of this historic building.
- Ankara Palas – located across the street from the Republic Museum, this former hotel for the government officials was very grand. It houses artifacts like elaborate place settings, royal gifts from visiting nations, and clothing/weapons from the Sultans in Topkapi in Istanbul. The pottery was beautiful and it’s worth the short stop to see the grandness of it all.
- Ankara Painting and Sculpture Museum – this is a typical art museum with each room housing a different style of art. The museum is very well done. With nice seating in most rooms, it was easy to spend time viewing the paintings. You could walk through quickly in 20 minutes or spend time gazing at the paintings for as long as you’d like.
- T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı Etnografya Müzesi – located right next to the art museum is the ethnography museum. This was just ok in my opinion. There wasn’t anything so unique that I hadn’t seen already in other places. There was a section for traditional clothing, calligraphy, and weapons. It’s a quick stop though.
- Roman Baths and Open Air Museum – the Roman baths were discovered hidden under a mound. While the area is very large and impressive, you have to use your imagination to really think what it would have looked like. They have some drawings of what they think it was like but now it’s just the foundation remaining.
If you want to pay for museums, there are so many: a post office museum, many specific bank museums, a Chess Museum, Forest Farm Museum and Exhibition Hall, 15 July Democracy Museum, Toy Museum, Education Museum, and the list goes on and on!
Parks
Ankara has some fabulous outdoor spaces. First just walking down the street it’s always lush and green with large trees overhead. But also there are some strategically placed parks with beautiful green spaces, places for kids to play, and many families and friends just lounging in the shade. All the parks are well maintained and just nice to walk through while in such a big city.
Gençlik Park – Just a stunning place to walk around, we saw so many families and groups just spread out in the shade of the big trees on the beautiful green grass enjoying the weather. There is a large lake with water fountains in the middle, many small vendors selling drinks and ice cream on the walking paths. It’s just such a nicely laid out and well maintained park in the heart of downtown.
Başkent Millet Bahçesi – located just behind Gençlik Park, this big, beautiful park has many sports facilities. Whether you are looking for basketball, tennis, soccer, exercise equipment, a skate park, or playgrounds for children, this park has it all. You can ride ponies, rent bicycles, or ride a zip line. The park includes many facilities such as picnic areas, bathrooms, shops, cafes, a mosque, and electric charging station for scooters.
Kurtuluş Parkı – this sprawling park has wonderful walking paths in the shade of the trees. There is a huge jungle gym for children to play on. The trees came in a variety of colors and it was a great escape from the hustle of the city.
Anıtkabir – This is the final resting place of the father of modern Turkey, Mustafa Ataturk. It is one of the more grand and beautiful parks built on top of a hill overlooking most of the city. The mausoleum itself is so opulent with beautiful marble and gold. It’s quite stunning. But what I also loved about this place is how much thought and beauty went into the surrounding aesthetic. It’s a huge square with sweeping views of the city through glass panes. They’ve also built a very large walkway through greenery. While there are a few historic cars and other items on display in each of the corners, the real gem is the small museum located right next to the mausoleum. Generally there is a long line here but it may be worth it to learn more about the history of Ataturk and the War of Independence. Also don’t miss the changing of the guard. The guards here are so professional and rigid. It’s kind of shocking watching them stand their post without moving. Overall you can sense the love and respect that so many Turkish people have for this man who founded their country after the demise of the Ottoman Empire.
Eating and Shopping
Ankara has all the local Turkish favorites when it comes to food but it also has so many new restaurants, more coffee shops, and tons of shopping.
Kizilay – I’m not really sure what this area is called so I’ll give you the metro stop name which is Kizilay. Within a few blocks on all sides of the metro stop are awesome walking streets with so many people. It’s got a real university vibe as there are book stores, young people in coffee shops, bars with live music. This is where we found some great restaurants. I’d recommend Flamingo Patisserie for baked goods (even gluten free cookies), a beautiful patio to drink your coffee/tea and enjoy desserts. Archers Burger & Pane for burgers. Although it’s a small shop with just a few tables, the burger and fries were outstanding. The fries were crispy and so good! And Pizzaci Altan had some amazing pizzas. The chef is celiac so he serves regular and gluten free pizza. Both were outstanding and the gluten free chocolate cake was a real treat! If you are looking for traditional foods, Antep Sofrasi is your place for kebabs and pide. The owner’s son is in university and sat and talked with us for a while. Super nice family!
Kitapçılar Bazaar, Ulus Hali, Suluhan Bazaar – if you are looking to shop with the locals, this area is your spot. All located within a few blocks of each other, these places are where you can get your religious coverings, your groceries for the week, and your craft supplies. Spend some time just walking around the streets in the area for jewelry stores, clothing, bags, and so many local vendors. We had doner at an unnamed location and it was delicious!
Ankara Castle area – The area surrounding the castle and inside the castle is catering more towards tourists with magnets, pottery, keychains but you’ll also find some better quality shops with antiques, Turkish towels, and silks. For lunch, I’d highly recommend Meydan 1957 – Döner ve Köfte. As the name says, they only serve two things: meat doner and kofte. You can either get it in a sandwich or over rice. Super simple but super delicious!
Overall, I’m really glad we stopped in Ankara. We were able to meet more locals, experience just regular life and learn some things from all the museums. If you’re only staying downtown, I’d recommend a day or two at most. But if you want to explore the outskirts, you could go longer. Hopefully you are able to stroll the streets and enjoy the parks as much as we did!
