Ankara Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Ankara

Ankara, the capital of modern Turkey, is the heart of the country's central region of Anatolia. Apart from being an important center for politics, this cosmopolitan city – the second-largest in Turkey after Istanbul – plays a significant role in shaping the nation's cultural and economic landscape.

Ankara has a long and eventful history, dating back to the Bronze Age, circa 2,000 BC. Owing to its strategic position at the center of the Anatolian tableland, as a key stopping-place en route from Persia to the Aegean coast, over the centuries, the city has been contested by various civilizations, including the Hittites, Phrygians, Lydians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, and Ottomans.

One of the most ancient local landmarks is the prominent Ankara Citadel, sitting atop a hill overlooking the city; it was built around the 7th century on the site of an earlier fortification constructed in the 8th century BC.

The name Ankara is believed to have originated from the Greek word 'Ancyra', which means anchor. Some sources suggest that the city was named after the anchor-shaped hill on which it was built.

Ankara played a significant role during the Turkish War of Independence and became the capital of the new Turkish Republic in 1923. A testament to that period is the Victory Monument erected at Ulus Square.

The city is home to several museums, including the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and the Çengelhan Rahmi M. Koç Museum, which is an industrial technology museum situated in a 16th-century Ottoman-era inn.

Similarly to her grander sister Istanbul, Ankara is "a city of contrasts" with a rather diverse and multifaceted nature, featuring a mix of modern and traditional elements, both urban and rural, and of different cultural and ethnic origins. For more in-depth exposure to the wealth of experiences Ankara has to offer, you may wish to embark on a self-guided walking tour armed with this mobile app.