Ankara : Capital of Turkey And All of Anatolia

Ankara in all it's glory

Most people visiting Turkey do not bother to stop by Ankara. I luckily did not commit this mistake. After a four-hour long bus journey from the Cappadocian town of Nevsehir, here I was, in the Turkish capital. The number of police cars and personnel on the streets exceeded the numbers in all other Turkish cities. The red and blue flashes gave the capital its official look. The streets of this official destination are lined with hotels and government offices: a capital city doing its job. A few paces away from where I was staying, the statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk looked over the

 

A statue of Ataturk in his office

district, perched on his horse as a commander. The sober lights of the Ottoman styled Osmanli Mosque spilt onto the rushing traffic. It was only a couple of hours since I had checked in, that the sun set in a sea of red, leaving the sky pale and dark. The cars rushed along below, and the lights had been left on. Ankara did not sleep that night.

Ankara was my last stop on this trip. Before returning home, I had the opportunity to do some sightseeing. The next day started with an early check out from the hotel I was staying in near Ulus Square. I was picked up by a guide, and we drove to the Anitkabir, a mausoleum dedicated to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of modern Turkey. Security is pretty tight at the Anitkabir. This site also hosts his grave and several world leaders compulsorily visit to pay respects. It also houses several items used by Kemal Atatürk in the span of his life and scenes from several battles leading to the independence of Turkey. Interested as I was, I spent around two hours exploring the various parts of the complex. 

 

The Presidential Palace of Turkey

Following the visit to Anitkabir, we went up to the Ankara Castle. Interestingly, this castle has been invaded and ruined several times but reconstructed by the generous rulers who have conquered the city. The views from the top are amazing. When I had clicked ample pictures, the guide showed me the way down to the Anatolian Civilisation Museum which holds remains from the civilisations who have inhabited the area. The artefacts can be traced right back to the Stone Age. The Museum won the prize for the best European Museum in the 90s. Just by exploring this museum, one can learn a lot about Anatolia and the beautiful land of Turkey. The museum is well lit and has signage to explain every single artefact.

But for the lack of time, Ankara was a wonderful visit. The city has so much to offer that it is impossible to explore all of it in a day. Turkey's 'other' city does not boast showy Ottoman palaces or regal

 

Ulus Square and the Victory Monument

facades, but Ankara thrums to a vivacious, youthful beat unmarred by the tug of history. One would be mistaken to draw comparisons with İstanbul – the humble, flat surroundings are hardly the stuff of national poetry – but the civic success of this dynamic city is assured thanks to the student panache and foreign-embassy intrigue. The Turkish capital has made remarkable progress from a dusty Anatolian backwater to the present day sophisticated arena for international affairs. 

As my plane took off, an overcast Turkish sky gave way to light rain. Through the firm windows, I saw a massive city speeding away from us. Then the sombre clouds sucked us in. Fourteen thousand feet above Turkey, I unboxed one of the several packets of baklavas. They would last me for the next two months.