- Ankara tava (the city's lamb and rice specialty).
- Döner and pide houses around Kızılay and Ulus.
- Tunalı Hilmi Street for the café and restaurant strip.
Ankara City Guide
Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Atatürk, Ankara. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Ankara is the capital: ministries, embassies and universities on the Anatolian plateau, with none of Istanbul's crowds and a serious museum scene. It became the capital of the Republic in 1923, and Anıtkabir, Atatürk's mausoleum, is its defining monument.
The old citadel (Hisar) and the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations are the cultural core. Most travellers pass through on the high-speed train; a day here is well spent.
What to do in Ankara
City
- 1
Anıtkabir Atatürk's mausoleum: the monumental complex on Anıttepe hill. - 2
Museum of Anatolian Civilizations Hittite, Phrygian and Urartian treasures in a restored Ottoman bedesten. - 3
Ankara Citadel (Hisar) The old fortress quarter: walls, alleys, and the city below. - 4
Kocatepe Mosque The great modern mosque, visible across the city. - 5Hamamönü The restored old quarter below the citadel: crafts and cafés.
Ankara Hotel Guide
How to choose the best places to stay in Ankara. Verified properties below; for the full list, search live availability on Booking.com.
Luxury
JW Marriott Hotel Ankara
The capital's top business hotel, central and polished.
View on Booking.com
Where to eat
Getting there and around
Ankara Esenboğa (ESB) is 28 km northeast. The high-speed YHT trains reach Istanbul (about 4.5 hours) and Konya (under 2 hours). The Ankaray and metro cover the centre.
Eating in Ankara
Fledge Food has a full guide to how Ankara eats: its defining dishes and how to order them, street food decoded, the markets, and the neighborhoods to eat in.