Like Washington, Brasilia, or Canberra, Ankara is the capital but not the first city in Turkey. The city’s modernity surprises those arriving from its primitive countryside. Pleasant and less touristic than Istanbul, Ankara has a handful of interesting sights and tremendous museums. It’s also a transportation hub for travel east and south, and home to all the embassies in Turkey. Atatürk Bulvari is the city’s main north-south boulevard, the boulevard lead to ULUS, the older section of town. Near the southern end of the citadel that dominates the old town, you’ll find the fantastic Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, the museum is one of the best in Turkey and it makes Ankara worthwhile to visit. The setting is unique, a restored Ottoman han and a covered bazaar, houses a collection of artefacts that trace the history of Anatolia from the dawn of time. While in the area, stroll through the bazar, the town-within-a-town inside the citadel walls, and the Alâedin Mosque, the oldest mosque in Ankara. Don’t leave Ankara without visiting Anit Kabur, the tomb of Atatürk. Its sheer size and the museum of Atatürk’s personal effects will give you a sense of Turkey’s immense reverence for its national here. The site is in a large park. Other sight in Ankara include the Temple of Augustus, built in 25 B.C.E. over the site of earlier temples to Cybele, an Anatolian fertility god, and to the Phrygian moon god but later converted into a Byzantine church. Nearby are Haci Bazram Mosque, the Ethnography Museum and the old Parliament. Ankara has a lively social scene, great restaurants and award-winning shopping malls, with a great deal of history dating back to the Romans to top it all off. The nation’s capital is the place to eat out in style, go to a club, visit art galleries, museums or explore antiques shops.
**Serbian translation:**
Poput Vašingtona, Brazilije ili Kanbere, Ankara je glavni grad, ali nije prvi grad u Turskoj. Modernost ovog grada iznenađuje one koji dolaze iz njegove primitivne seoske okoline. Prijatna i manje turistička od Istanbula, Ankara ima nekoliko zanimljivih znamenitosti i izuzetne muzeje. Takođe je i saobraćajno čvorište za putovanja ka istoku i jugu, kao i sedište svih ambasada u Turskoj. Atatürk Bulvar je glavna gradska sever-jug saobraćajnica, koja vodi do ULUS-a, starijeg dela grada. U blizini južnog kraja citadele koja dominira starim gradom, nalazi se fantastični Muzej anadolskih civilizacija, jedan od najboljih muzeja u Turskoj, zbog kojeg se isplati posetiti Ankaru. Ambijent je jedinstven – obnovljeni osmanski han i natkrivena pijaca čuvaju zbirku artefakata koji prate istoriju Anadolije od praskozorja vremena. Dok ste u tom kraju, prošetajte kroz bazar, grad u malom unutar zidina citadele, i posetite džamiju Alâedin, najstariju džamiju u Ankari. Ne napuštajte Ankaru a da ne posetite Anit Kabir, grobnicu Atatürka. Njena veličina i muzej sa ličnim stvarima Atatürka pružiće vam osećaj ogromnog poštovanja koje Turska gaji prema svom nacionalnom heroju. Kompleks se nalazi u velikom parku. Ostale znamenitosti Ankare uključuju Avgustov hram, izgrađen 25. godine pre nove ere na mestu ranijih hramova posvećenih Kibeli, anadolijskoj boginji plodnosti, i frigijskom bogu meseca, a kasnije pretvoren u vizantijsku crkvu. U blizini su i džamija Hadži Bajram, Etnografski muzej i stari parlament. Ankara ima živu društvenu scenu, odlične restorane i nagrađivane tržne centre, a sve to upotpunjuje bogata istorija koja datira još iz rimskog doba. Glavni grad države je mesto gde možete jesti u stilu, otići u klub, posetiti umetničke galerije, muzeje ili istražiti antikvarnice.
