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A photograph of Ankara

City guide · Türkiye

Up to 1 hour in Ankara, Türkiye — page 3

Ankara is Türkiye’s republican capital, where Anıtkabir’s monumental presence, the institutions of the modern state and the layered streets of historic Ulus mee...

Photograph · Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0

5,060 Places
25 Districts
Suggested stay
Not recorded
Getting around
EGO buses, Metro, Ankaray and Başkentray; plan Gordion as a separate Polatlı excursion

Turn this list into a plan

Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.

Plan Ankara

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Ankara is Türkiye’s republican capital, where Anıtkabir’s monumental presence, the institutions of the modern state and the layered streets of historic Ulus meet in one inland city. Begin with Anıtkabir and the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, then follow the old citadel quarter, Roman remains and the museums around Ulus. Ankara also works as a base for district-scale excursions: Gordion in Polatlı and the wider cultural landscape beyond the centre reward travellers who allow time beyond the central museums.

Checked 2026-09-02

Practical information

Language spoken
Turkish
The official language of the Republic of Turkiye
Dialling code
+90
The international dialling code for Turkiye
Currency
Turkish lira (₺, TRY)
The official currency; one lira is divided into 100 kurus
Emergency number
112
One number for ambulance, fire and police
Plug type
European two-pin · 220 V
The national living guide records 220 V and European-style two-pin plugs
Tap water
Not recorded
No verified national source in the dataset

Planning a visit

September · The Turkish State Meteorological Service records a 26.1°C mean high and 11.9°C mean low for Ankara in September; this is among the most comfortable periods for long outdoor sightseeing days.

  1. January: recurring difficult conditions
  2. February: recurring difficult conditions
  3. March: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  4. April: best time to visit
  5. May: best time to visit
  6. June: good time to visit
  7. July: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  8. August: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  9. September: best time to visit — current month
  10. October: best time to visit
  11. November: good time to visit
  12. December: recurring difficult conditions

Sources

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

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74 places match

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Category

Historic monuments 31 Museums 0 Places of worship 9 Nature sites 22 Viewpoints 4 Food and drink 0 Markets and shopping 0 Entertainment 0 Nightlife 0 Family attractions 0 Art and culture 8 Activities 0

Typical visit duration

Up to 1 hour 74 1 to 2 hours 26

Interests

History 40 Art 17 Museums 8 Nature 26 Sea and beach 22 Viewpoints 4
  1. Meclis Park Meclis Park
    32 1 hour

    Meclis Park

    Meclis Parkı

    Meclis Park is a green area within the Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi (TBMM) campus in Ankara’s Bakanlıklar district, beside Atatürk Bulvarı.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  2. Güvenpark Güvenpark
    33 1 hour

    Güvenpark

    Güvenpark is the green civic space at the heart of Kızılay, in Ankara’s Çankaya district, beside Kızılay Square and Atatürk Boulevard.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  3. Polatlı
    34 1 hour

    Polatlı

    Polatlı is a municipal park in the centre of Polatlı, Ankara province, mapped as a leisure=park site.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  4. Çankaya Mansion
    35 1 hour

    Çankaya Mansion

    Çankaya Köşkü

    Çankaya Mansion is a working state residence and workplace on Ankara’s Çankaya presidential campus, with a role that combines republican history and present-day government.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  5. Akkale Akkale
    36 45 min

    Akkale

    Akkale is the highest bastion of Ankara Castle, at the summit of the fortress above Ankara’s historic Ulus centre. Its identity is architectural and defensive: this is a prominent part of the castle complex, not a separate public museum.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  6. Estergon Castle (Ankara) Estergon Castle (Ankara)
    37 45 min

    Estergon Castle (Ankara)

    Estergon Kalesi Türk Kültür Merkezi

    Estergon Turkish Cultural Centre is a castle-inspired municipal complex in Güçlükaya, Keçiören, rather than a surviving medieval fortress.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  7. Ankara Roma Tiyatrosu Ankara Roma Tiyatrosu
    38 45 min

    Ankara Roma Tiyatrosu

    Ankara Roma Tiyatrosu is an archaeological theatre in Ulus, Ankara’s historic core, within Altındağ district.

    • High
    • Historic monument
  8. Güvenlik Monument Güvenlik Monument
    39 45 min

    Güvenlik Monument

    Güven Abidesi

    Güvenlik Monument is a 1935 civic artwork inside Güvenpark, in Ankara’s Kızılay district. Its subject is not a private memorial or enclosed museum display: it places a statement about public trust within one of the capital’s busiest everyday spaces.

    • High
    • Historic monument
  9. Mehmetçik Monument Mehmetçik Monument
    40 45 min

    Mehmetçik Monument

    Mehmetçik Anıtı

    Mehmetçik Monument is a hilltop memorial at Kartaltepe, about 6 kilometres west of Polatlı in Ankara Province, beside the E-90 Ankara–Eskişehir highway.

    • High
    • Historic monument
  10. Tomb of Karyağdı Hatun Tomb of Karyağdı Hatun
    41 45 min

    Tomb of Karyağdı Hatun

    Karyağdı Hatun Türbesi

    The Tomb of Karyağdı Hatun is a small Ottoman funerary monument on Doğan Sokak in Ankara’s Ulus area, close to İtfaiye Meydanı.

    • High
    • Historic monument
  11. Maltepe Mosque Maltepe Mosque
    42 30 min

    Maltepe Mosque

    Maltepe Camii

    Maltepe Mosque is a functioning place of worship in Maltepe Mahallesi, within Ankara’s Çankaya district. Construction began in 1954 and finished in 1959, while the design adopts the visual language of classical Ottoman mosques.

    • High
    • Place of worship
  12. Suluhan
    43 45 min

    Suluhan

    Suluhan is a sixteenth-century urban han in Ankara’s Ulus district, known in historical records and local heritage inventories as Hasanpaşa Hanı and Ankaravî Hanı.

    • High
    • Historic monument
  13. Bazaar
    44 45 min

    Bazaar

    Turistik Demirciler Çarşısı

    Turistik Demirciler Çarşısı is a historic market quarter in Beypazarı district centre, around İrfan Gümüşel Caddesi.

    • High
    • Historic monument
  14. TCDD General Headquarters Building TCDD General Headquarters Building
    45 45 min

    TCDD General Headquarters Building

    TCDD Genel Müdürlüğü

    TCDD General Headquarters Building is the Ankara headquarters of Türkiye's State Railways, at Hipodrom Caddesi beside Ankara railway station in Altındağ. Its identity is tied to railway administration rather than a museum collection or a station's passenger functions.

    • High
    • Historic monument
  15. Abdi İpekçi Park Abdi İpekçi Park
    46 1 hour

    Abdi İpekçi Park

    Abdi İpekçi Parkı

    Abdi İpekçi Park is a 33,120-square-metre memorial and recreation space on Sıhhiye Square in central Ankara.

    • High
    • Nature site
  16. Bilkent Concert Hall Bilkent Concert Hall
    47 1 hour

    Bilkent Concert Hall

    Bilkent Senfoni Orkestrası (BSO) Konser Salonu

    Bilkent Concert Hall is a 700-seat performance venue in Bilkent University’s Faculty of Music and Performing Arts and the home stage of the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra.

    • High
    • Art and culture venue
  17. Ankara Parachute Tower Ankara Parachute Tower
    48 45 min

    Ankara Parachute Tower

    THK Havacılık Müzesi ve Paraşüt Kulesi

    Ankara Parachute Tower is a 41-metre aviation landmark in Ulus, beside Ankara Sports Hall and close to Gençlik Park. Opened on 28 October 1937, it was designed around parachute training rather than as a conventional monument or lookout.

    • High
    • Historic monument
  18. Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque
    49 30 min

    Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque

    Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Camii

    Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque is a contemporary Ankara landmark beside the Presidency of Religious Affairs at the Bilkent junction. Set on Dumlupınar Bulvarı in Üniversiteler Mahallesi, it opened for worship on Friday, 19 April 2013.

    • High
    • Place of worship
  19. Cebeci Asri Cemetery Cebeci Asri Cemetery
    50 30 min

    Cebeci Asri Cemetery

    Cebeci Asri Mezarlığı

    Cebeci Asri Cemetery is a municipal burial ground in Gültepe Mahallesi, within Ankara’s Altındağ district, and it has served the city since 1935.

    • High
    • Place of worship
  20. Human Rights Monument Human Rights Monument
    51 1 hour

    Human Rights Monument

    İnsan Hakları

    The Human Rights Monument is a bronze civic sculpture at the junction of Yüksel Street and Konur Street in Kızılay, central Ankara. Sculptor Metin Yurdanur made it, and it was installed in 1990.

    • High
    • Art and culture venue
  21. Tree of Science Tree of Science
    52 1 hour

    Tree of Science

    Bilim Ağacı

    Tree of Science, called Bilim Ağacı in Turkish, is an outdoor monument at the A1 entrance of Middle East Technical University in Ankara.

    • High
    • Art and culture venue
  22. Şinasi Stage Şinasi Stage
    53 1 hour

    Şinasi Stage

    Şinasi Sahnesi

    Şinasi Stage is a State Theatres venue in Ankara operated by the General Directorate of State Theatres under Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Its auditorium opened on 13 March 1988 and contains 490 seats.

    • High
    • Art and culture venue
  23. Karşıyaka Cemetery Karşıyaka Cemetery
    54 30 min

    Karşıyaka Cemetery

    Karşıyaka Mezarlığı

    Karşıyaka Cemetery is a large municipal burial ground in Ankara, maintained as an active cemetery by Ankara Metropolitan Municipality. Its purpose is grave visitation, remembrance and cemetery administration, so the experience differs fundamentally from a sightseeing attraction.

    • High
    • Place of worship
  24. Wonderland Ankara Wonderland Ankara
    55 1 hour

    Wonderland Ankara

    Harikalar Diyarı

    Wonderland Ankara is a municipal urban park in Ankara’s Sincan district, around Fatih Mahallesi and Ayaş Yolu.

    • High
    • Nature site
  25. Juliopolis
    56 45 min

    Juliopolis

    Juliopolis is an archaeological site in the Gülşehri area of Çayırhan, within Nallıhan district in Ankara Province. Set beside Sarıyar Dam, it combines an ancient settlement with a necropolis on limestone rock along the reservoir’s northern shore.

    • High
    • Historic monument
Show 18 more places

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Where to base yourself

District boundaries come from OSM administrative relations, so a district page holds exactly the places inside it — plus, for the islands and the coast, the nearest district by proximity.

How the city is laid out

Ankara is easiest to understand as a set of distinct urban areas rather than one continuous sightseeing centre. Ulus is the historic core, with the citadel above it and major museums, Roman-era remains and civic landmarks concentrated nearby. Anıtkabir stands separately on the central Anıttepe ridge, while Kızılay and Tunalı Hilmi form the contemporary central axis for shopping, cafés and everyday city life. The metropolitan municipality’s rail network links these areas, but the final approach to hilltop and citadel sights is still best planned as a walk or short local connection. Gordion, west of the capital in Polatlı district, is a separate excursion rather than a central neighbourhood stop.

Checked 2026-09-02

Getting around

Use Ankara’s municipal public-transport network to connect the main urban areas: EGO buses serve the metropolitan road network, while Metro, Ankaray and Başkentray provide rail links across the city. Check EGO’s current route, timetable and fare information before travelling, because service details can change. For a museum-and-Ulus day, rail or bus can bring you close to the historic core, followed by walking between nearby sights; Anıtkabir is a separate stop. Reaching Gordion requires an intercity or district connection to Polatlı and onward local travel, so treat it as a planned day trip. Ankara’s scale and slopes make comfortable shoes and extra transfer time worthwhile.

Checked 2026-09-02

Nearby districts and related places

Nearby places

Common questions

Why is Anıtkabir essential on a first visit to Ankara?

Anıtkabir is the mausoleum and memorial complex of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Türkiye. Its ceremonial approach, courtyards and museum make it the clearest starting point for understanding Ankara as the republican capital. Check the official visitor information before going, as access arrangements and visiting details can change.

What should I see in historic Ulus?

Build a compact Ulus circuit around the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ankara Castle and the Roman-era remains in and around the old centre. The district is where Ankara’s ancient, Ottoman and early republican layers are most legible together. Allow time for uphill walking around the citadel and verify each museum’s current visitor information on its official site.

Which museums are most useful for understanding Ankara?

The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations provides the strongest archaeological introduction, while the Republic Museum and the Independence War Museum place Ankara in the political history of the Turkish Republic. The Ethnography Museum adds cultural context. They are a good counterpoint to Anıtkabir: together, the collections explain both the deep history of central Anatolia and the capital’s modern national role.

Can I visit Gordion from Ankara?

Yes. Gordion is in Polatlı district, west of Ankara, and is best treated as a full excursion rather than a quick central-city stop. The archaeological site and museum are associated with the Phrygian capital and the Gordion archaeological landscape. Plan the transport connection and confirm current site information with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism before travelling.

How many days do I need in Ankara?

No official source used for this fragment publishes a recommended stay length, so there is no sourced number to give. The practical answer depends on whether your plan is limited to Anıtkabir, Ulus and the central museums or includes Gordion and other district-scale excursions. Treat the stay as an itinerary choice, not a fixed official rule.

What is the best way to get around Ankara?

For the metropolitan area, combine EGO buses with Metro and Ankaray, using Başkentray where its rail corridor fits your journey. Walking is especially useful for linked sights in Ulus, although the citadel approach is uphill. Gordion is outside the central sightseeing area in Polatlı district, so check the relevant rail, bus and local connection information before setting out.