Ankara walking tour & city guide

Anıtkabir and the Republic

Anıtkabir, the monumental mausoleum of Atatürk, is the most important site in Ankara and a place of deep respect for Turks. Set on a hill in a large park, it combines modern and ancient Anatolian architectural styles, with a long avenue lined with lion statues leading to a vast ceremonial square. The museum inside tells the story of the War of Independence and the founding of the Republic.

Visitors can watch the changing of the guard, and the site is free to enter. Ulus, the historic center below the citadel, holds the buildings of the first Turkish parliament, now museums.

The citadel and old Ankara

Ankara Castle crowns a hill above the old town, with walls dating back to Roman and Byzantine times. Inside, narrow lanes of restored Ottoman houses lead to viewpoints over the whole city. Just below, the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, housed in a restored Ottoman covered market, displays treasures from the Paleolithic, Hittite, Phrygian and Urartian periods.

Nearby, the restored Hamamönü neighborhood has colorful wooden Ottoman houses filled with cafés and craft shops, and the Roman Temple of Augustus and Roman Baths are reminders of ancient Ancyra.

Modern Ankara

Kızılay is the bustling heart of modern Ankara, where shopping streets, cafés and student life fill the sidewalks, as the walking tours show. Tunalı Hilmi Avenue in Çankaya is lined with restaurants and boutiques, and the Atakule tower offers views across the city. Ankara has a continental climate, with hot dry summers and cold, sometimes snowy winters.