- Formerly known as:
- Angora
Ankara
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What is Ankara?
Ankara, the capital of Turkey, boasts a history stretching back to the Stone Age. Throughout the ages, Ankara has been conquered by Alexander the Great, incorporated into the Roman Empire, and contested between the Seljuqs and Turkish frontier lords. After World War I, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Turkish nationalist leader, made Ankara the center of the resistance movement. Ankara was officially declared the capital of Turkey in 1923. Today, government is the main business in the city, but Ankara is also Turkey’s second most important industrial city after Istanbul.
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Where is Ankara located?
Ankara, the capital of Turkey, is situated in the northwestern part of the country, approximately 125 miles (200 km) south of the Black Sea. It lies near where the Hatip, İnce Su, and Çubuk streams meet. Ankara is also an important crossroads for trade and a major junction in Turkey's road network. The city is on the main east-west rail line across Anatolia.
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Why is Ankara important to Turkey?
Ankara is important to Turkey because it serves as the nation's capital. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Turkish nationalist leader, made Ankara the center of the resistance movement after World War I. He established his headquarters there in 1919, and in 1923, Ankara was declared the capital of Turkey.
Beyond its political role, Ankara is Turkey’s second most important industrial city. It is a major trade crossroads and a key junction in Turkey's road network, with the main east-west rail line crossing Anatolia. Ankara is also home to several universities, the National Library, the state theater, and the Presidential Symphony Orchestra.
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What is the history of Ankara becoming Turkey’s capital?
After World War I, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Turkish nationalist leader, established a resistance movement against the Ottoman sultanate and invading Greek forces, choosing Ankara as its headquarters in 1919.
Ankara's selection as the center of the nationalist movement was strategic, as it was away from the Allied-occupied Istanbul, the Ottoman capital. Following the victory of the nationalists, the abolition of the sultanate, and the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne, Ankara was officially declared the capital of Turkey on October 13, 1923.
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What are some important landmarks or attractions in Ankara?
Ankara, the national capital of Turkey, showcases a rich history through its landmarks and attractions. Remnants from the Roman era include a bath, the Column of Julian, and the Temple of Roma and Augustus. The citadel and a cemetery remain from the Byzantine era. The Alâeddin Mosque, dating back to the Seljuq era, stands near the walled citadel.
Ottoman buildings include the Hacı Bayram Cami (1427–28), the Mahmud Paşa market, and the Kurşunlu Han, which houses the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. The modern city features the Atatürk Mausoleum complex. Ankara also houses the Ethnographic Museum, the National Library, the state theater, and the Presidential Symphony Orchestra.
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How does Ankara impact Turkey’s culture, government, and economy?
Ankara's influence on Turkey spans its culture, government, and economy. As the nation's capital since 1923, Ankara is the center of Turkey's government, housing important institutions and universities such as Ankara University.
Ankara is Turkey's second most important industrial city. Its location as a trade crossroads enhances its economic importance, with well-established factories producing various goods.
Culturally, Ankara houses the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and the Ethnographic Museum, contributing to the preservation and promotion of Turkish history, folklore, and art. The National Library and state theater enrich the city's cultural landscape.
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Ankara, city, capital of Turkey, situated in the northwestern part of the country. It lies about 125 miles (200 km) south of the Black Sea, near the confluence of the Hatip, İnce Su, and Çubek streams.
History
While the date of the city’s foundation is uncertain, archaeological evidence indicates habitation at least since the Stone Age, and a thriving Phrygian town was located in the area at the end of the 2nd millennium bce. Alexander the Great conquered Ankara in 333 bce, and in the 3rd century bce the town served as the capital of the Tectosages, a tribe of Galatia (the ancient name for the region around Ankara). In 25 bce Ankara was incorporated into the Roman Empire by the emperor Augustus.
As a city of the Byzantine Empire, Ankara was attacked by both the Persians and the Arabs. About 1073 Ankara fell to the Seljuq Turks, but the Crusader Raymond IV of Toulouse drove them out again in 1101. The Byzantines, however, were unable to maintain their control, and Ankara became a bone of contention between the Seljuqs and their rivals among the Turkish frontier lords. After 1143, Seljuq princes fought among themselves for possession of the city. With the establishment of the Seljuq empire, Ankara declined.
In 1354 the city was captured by Orhan (Orkhan), the second sultan of the Ottoman dynasty, and it became a part of the Ottoman domains in 1360. Ankara was besieged during the Anatolian campaign of Timur (Tamerlane). In 1403 it again became subject to Ottoman rule, and in subsequent centuries it regained its importance as a commercial and urban centre because of its location on the caravan route to the East.
After World War I, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Turkish nationalist leader, made Ankara the centre of the resistance movement against both the government of the Ottoman sultan and the invading Greek forces; he established his headquarters there in 1919. Ankara was declared the capital of Turkey in 1923.
The contemporary city
The architecture of the present-day city reflects its varied history. Remains from the Roman era include a bath, the Column of Julian, and the Temple of Roma and Augustus. Byzantine remnants include the citadel and a cemetery. The square Alâeddin Mosque, with one minaret, is located near the walled citadel and dates from the Seljuq era. Ottoman buildings are numerous and include the Hacı Bayram Cami (1427–28), as well as the Mahmud Paşa market and the Kurşunlu Han, two 15th-century buildings that have been converted to house the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. The modern city contains the huge Atatürk Mausoleum complex.
Government is the main business in the city, but Ankara is also Turkey’s second most important industrial city after Istanbul. Factories producing wine and beer, flour, sugar, macaroni products, biscuits, milk, cement, terrazzo (mosaic paving), construction materials, and tractors are well established. Service and tourist industries are expanding rapidly.
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Ankara is an important crossroads for trade and forms a major junction in the road network of Turkey. The city lies on the main east-west rail line across Anatolia. Esenboğa Airport, to the northeast, provides international services.
The city is the seat of the University of Ankara (established 1946), Hacettepe University (1967), and the Middle East Technical University (1956). The National Library is also located there, as are the state theatre and the Presidential Symphony Orchestra.
Several of Ankara’s museums, which present a panorama of Anatolian history, are housed in renovated Ottoman buildings. The most important of these are the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (with its world-renowned Hittite collection) and the Ethnographic Museum (with its holdings related to Turkish history, folklore, and art). The Atatürk Mausoleum contains the Atatürk Museum, which displays many of Atatürk’s personal effects. Pop. (2000) 3,203,362; (2013 est.) 4,417,522.