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Anit Kabir, Ankara

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Ankara Local time

Things to see in Ankara

Tourist information: 

Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Ankara Tourist Office
Gazi Mustafa Kemal Bulvari 121 Tandogan
Tel: (0312) 231 5572.
www.kultur.gov.tr

Anıtkabir, the Mausoleum of Kemal Atatürk

Ankara's number one tourist draw is a stunning construction that blends ancient and modern architectural design to dramatic effect. An adjacent museum contains a wax statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Turkey's beloved founder, together with his writings, personal items and other memoirs.

Opening Times: Daily 0900-1630 (Feb-mid-May); daily 0900-1700 (mid-May-Oct); daily 0900-1600 (Nov-Jan).  
Admission Fees: No.
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: No
Address: Turkey
Telephone: (0312) 231 7975.
Website: www.tsk.tr/eng/Anitkabir/index.html
Ankara Citadel (Ankara Kalesi)

No visit to Ankara is complete without a wander around the Old City and its much-besieged fortress. Robust foundations, believed to date back to the Galatians, support rugged double walls built from vast stone blocks. Numerous buildings nestled between the walls have been beautifully restored as historic monuments. Several are now protected by UNESCO.

Disabled Access: No
Unesco: No
Address: Ulus, Ankara, Turkey
Website: www.ankarakalesi.com
Atakule

Keen to soak up Ankara's finest view? Then head to Atakule, the city's highest building at 125m (410ft) high. With its glass rotating tower, the building is accessed by a glass-framed elevator that whizzes visitors up to a tower for gasp-inducing panoramic views across the rooftops of Ankara.

Disabled Access: No
Unesco: No
Address: Atakule, Ankara, Turkey
Website: www.atakule.com
Ethnography Museum

Opposite the Opera House in the Ulus district, Ankara's prestigious Ethnography Museum boasts a fascinating collection of folkloric artefacts as well as items from the Seljuk and Ottoman eras. It is housed inside a white marble post-Ottoman building which once served as Kemal Atatürk's offices.

Opening Times: Tues-Sun 0830-1730 (summer); Tues-Sun 0830-1700 (winter).
Admission Fees: Yes.
Disabled Access: No
Unesco: No
Address: Talat Paşa Bulvarı, Ankara, Turkey
Telephone: (0312) 311 9556.
Museum of Anatolian Civilisations

At the entrance of the Ankara Castle entrance, Ankara's most impressive collection of artifacts are housed in this imposing property with items dating back to the third Millennium and a rare array of Paleolithic, Neolithic and Roman artworks.

Opening Times: Tues-Sun 0845-1715.
Admission Fees: Yes.
Disabled Access: No
Unesco: No
Address: Ulus Dolmuşları, Ankara, Turkey
Telephone: (0312) 324 3160.
Website: www.anadolumedeniyetlerimuzesi.gov.tr
Roman Baths

Located on the south side of the city, the remains of the Roman baths are thought to have been constructed by the emperor Caracalla between 212 and 217. Dedicated to Aesculapius, god of health, the baths originally comprised a dozen pools of water at varying temperatures. Today, amongst hundreds of columns the shape and footprint of the baths can still be seen as well as a wrestling arena. The baths were destroyed by fire in the 10th century.

Opening Times: Daily 0830-1730.
Admission Fees: Yes.
Disabled Access: No
Unesco: No
Address: Çankiri Avenue, Ankara, Turkey

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