💎 Hidden gems remaining: 7
Ankara is the capital city of Turkey. Taking that into consideration, it is easy to imagine the scale of the city. Just like all big cities, it is divided into disctricts, ranging from highly developed ones to those not so much. Public transport is reliable, but hard to navigate for a tourist – there is no sign of English anywhere. Even when you ascend to the highest point of Ankara (around 1000 m), you are still not a lot above the tips of buildings – skyscrapers shaped in every possible way (even like a ski jump) are tightly condensed all around.
This time it was easy to find the right station as there is only one bus at a time departing in Göreme. We hopped on and enjoyed our ride with Nevşehir bus company. Upon arrival to Ankara we were stunned – the station had 3 floors and more than 150 gates. That is crazy. It was this time when we realised that we would have to be early on our day of departure to even find the right selling desk to obtain gate info. But we had greater problems. You guessed it – public transport. First we just could not find the metro – and when we finally did, we could not buy tickets as the machine was only operating in Turkish language. Yay! So we walked. For 1,5 km. Ou, also, did I mention it was pouring rain? Yeah!
The following day we planned to visit some city sights. We stil did not have bus tickets but were grateful to find out that Anıtkabir was in close proximity to our place, so we opted to walk again. You can read more about that place below. But I might spoil and say that it is insane. When we looked up the next attraction – Ankara castle – we decided that 2,5 km would be too much to walk. That was the first time we tried to pay metro with credit card (it was marked as an acceptable payment solution). Of course it did not work. So you know what we did? Walk.
Living room
One thing we were really pleased with was the location of our accommodation. It was just 20 min of walk from .A.Ş.T.I. (main bus station) and in a pleasant and quiet area. The host welcomed us upon arrival and we were amazed by the fact that he spoke English. It made things so much easier for us. He also recommended us the place to print some photos when we asked him that.
The place was small, but spacious. How does this go together, you will ask? The ceiling was low, but there were many different rooms to accommodate us. If only we got real towels and not some disposable paper sheets, it would be a perfect experience.
No, just kidding, that would be Ankaran.
Built in the middle of a stress-relieving park is the tomb of Atatürk. The majestic building, which was built 15 years after his death, might remind you of ancient Greek Parthenon or ancient Roman Pantheon. His best speeches are carved with golden letters on the walls. There's a square in front of it, available for various cultural events. Guards, who change every hour, are always guarding every corner of the property.
On the other side of the square, you can walk the Lion Path through the garden. It represents the power and freedom of the Turkish nation.
The square of Anıtkabir
Knock knock, Atatürk. Sleep well.
The Lion Path. You can hear me roooaaar! 🦁
We already learnt some facts about Atatürk in Konya. But to get a broader idea, this museum exhibits his personal belongings, along with enscribed stories and oil paintings. Want to see the car he used to be driven around with? You will find it here. There's a war museum next to it, showcasing his war achievements. Furthermore, you can experience the atmosphere at the front with 4D-painting panoramas (which include spatial audio and blinking lights).
A wax-model of Atatürk doing his work
Inside the walls of the castle, there used to be a whole city in the past. You can still find locals hand-crafting various decorations, along with locals drinking tea. Some streets are under renovation, but eventually you get to the top. There's a breathtaking view over whole Ankara. Do not enter side shafts though – they are smelly.
Matchy-matchy with the sky
The entrance to the castle outside perimetre
Hmm, why is it so dark?
Even though it is a big city, there are still some quiet corners with cosy local shops and tavernas with delicious food. You just have to walk around and be alert at all times. That certainly includes not using public transport and walking more than 6 km afoot. You will like it.
Narrow streets of Ankara
Some kind of calzone – ordered because of the good-looking photo
When we arrived the first day, we were not hungry, but starving. Imagine us nodding in agreement when seeing a pizza place with mouth-watering photos displayed outside. We did not hesitate. The menu was only in Turkish, but we managed with our little knowledge of the language and with help of pictures and our hands (like always). That is how we ordered the calzone pizza (the one on the photo). It was just so good looking on menu. The other one was a classic, but always delicious Pizza de la Tona.
When we were towards the Ankara Castle, we stumbled upon this börek place. Since we were hungry and we had not eaten börek in Turkey yet, we had an irresistable urge to try it.
And what a börek it was! Indeed this dish has its roots here. The thin, soft, juicy layers of dough full of taste combined with a cheese filling just causes a mouth explosion. The other piece was filled with meat and was just as tasty.
After having walked the diameter of Ankara, we became hungry again. But as we planned to go to some fancy dinner in the evening, we didn't want to eat too much. We chose Mama's Cafe and ordered two dishes: Curry Chicken and Potato Meatballs. Language barriers again: we ordered with hands, then an English-speaking student came to help.
And what a surprise! The portions were way bigger than expected. Additionally, we were served with 4 halves of two loaves of bread and a yoghurt.
Curry Chicken
Meatballs Patata
