The mausoleum of the founder and leader of Republic's, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, was built on the hill of Rasattepe. The architecture completed in 1953 and Ataturk was removed from the temporary burial site at the Ethnographic Museum and brought here with great ceremony on the same year. The building has a remarkable entrance, is a synthesis of antique and modern architectural themes, and also is a proof of the classiness and strength of Turkish architecture
Within the Structure there are the following towers:
o the Tower of Independence,
o the Tower of Liberty,
o the Road of Lions,
o Mudafaa-i Hukuk Tower,
o the Soldier's Tower,
o the Tower of Victory,
o the Tower of Peace,
o the April 23 Tower,
o the Misak-i Milli Tower,
o the Reform Tower and
o the Victory Reliefs.
The Mausoleum hall itself is a colonnaded temple with huge bronze doors but not much in the way of decoration. There is the tomb of Ismet Inonu, the first prime minister of the Turkish republic and the president after Ataturk's death, opposite to Mausoleum. A number of Ataturk's personal belongings are exhibited here in Anitkabir.
Museum Phone: (+90 312) 310 53 61
Opening hours: Winter: 0900-1200 & 1300-1700 – Summer: 0900-1230 & 1330-1700, closed on Mondays.
It is located near the gate of the castle. The museum contains priceless work of arts belonging to the Palaeolithic and Neolithic eras as well as the Hattie, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartu and Roman civilizations.
Within this Ottoman building, the museum has a number of exhibits of Anatolian archaeology, starting with the Paleolithic era, and continuing chronologically through the Neolithic, Early Bronze, Assyrian Trading Colonies, Hittite, Phrygian and Urartu periods. Wide ranging artefacts from the excavations at Karain, Catalhoyuk, Hacilar, Canhasan, Beyce Sultan, Alacahoyuk, Alacahoyuk, Kultepe, Acemhoyuk, Bogazkoy Gordion, Pazarli, Altintepe, Adilcevaz and Patnos as well as examples of several periods can be seen. Beside, the exhibits of gold, silver, glass, marble and bronze works date back as far as the second half of the first millennium BC. The coin collections, with examples ranging from the first minted money to modern times, represent the museum's rare cultural treasures.
The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations won the "European Museum of the Year" award among 65 museums from 21 European countries in 1997.
Museum Phone: (+90 312) 324 31 60 / 312 62 48.
Opening hours: 08.30 - 17.30, closed on Mondays.
This museum was opened to the public in 1930. The temporary burial site for Ataturk was this museum; therefore its courtyard was closed for a period of time and reopened when his body was moved to Anitkabir.
Given that the Museum served his tomb for 15 years, the courtyard is still preserved as a tomb in symbolic respect of the memory of Atatürk.
Turkish artefacts from the Selcuk period until the present day are presented in the Ethnographical Museum. There is also a rich library located in the museum, which is useful for specialists in Anatolian ethnography, folklore and art history. The building is rectangular with a single dome, and the stone walls covered with travertine.
Museum Phone: (+90 312) 311 95 56
Opening hours: 0830-1230 & 1330-1730, closed on Mondays.
Atakule is modern side of the appearance of today’s Ankara. The 125-metre tower stands 118.2 metres above the ground, and the 600 sq. metre multi-purpose cocktail bar at the top of the tower. This bar is mainly used for weddings, seminars and conferences. The revolving restaurant (111.8m) makes one full revolution every hour. The lookout terrace at 104m is open everyday from 09.30 to 23:00, and there is a café/bar at 100m. Here offers a spectacular view of the entire city.
Phone: (+90 312) 440 77 01
Fax: (+90 312) 440 77 02
Ankara Castle has guarded the city for centuries, given that its history is as old as the city itself. Therefore, it is now a symbol of Ankara and its history. The construction year is not definite, however it is believed that it was built during the period of Roman Empire, then repaired and expanded by Selcuks.
The Castle has two parts, an inner and an outer castle, with over 20 towers. The outer castle encloses the old city within its heart-shaped walls. The four-level inner castle is made partly of Ankara stone and partly of stones gathered from other structures. The two large gates of the inner castle are called the Outer Gate and the Castle Gate. The towers within the castle vary between 14-16 metres in height. Today within the castle walls there are a number of Ottoman-style houses dating as far back as the 17th century.
Kalecik Castle is on the road to Cankiri and is situated 78 km from Ankara.