Log in Sign up
Back to Discover
🗺️

Ankara

geography Maturity 11-13

Ankara is a big city.

Ankara asv2021-10 img15 Atakule.jpg
Ankara asv2021-10 img15 Atakule.jpg
It is in Turkey. It is the capital city. Many people live there. You can see an old castle.
Ankara Castle.jpg
Ankara Castle.jpg
It is a very busy place. Do you want to visit?

38 words

Ankara is the capital of Turkey.

Ankara asv2021-10 img15 Atakule.jpg
Ankara asv2021-10 img15 Atakule.jpg
It sits in the middle of the land. It is a very big city.
Ankara asv2021-10 img64 Arts and Sculpture Museum.jpg
Ankara asv2021-10 img64 Arts and Sculpture Museum.jpg

Many people live in Ankara. It is a busy place for work. It has many roads and trains.

Ankara asv2021-10 img19 Railway station.jpg
Ankara asv2021-10 img19 Railway station.jpg

You can see an old castle on a hill.

Ankara Castle.jpg
Ankara Castle.jpg
The city also has many old buildings. Some are from a long time ago.

Ankara is known for many things. It has soft wool from goats. It also has sweet grapes and honey.

It is a place full of history. There is so much to see.

98 words

Ankara is the capital city of Turkey.

Ankara asv2021-10 img15 Atakule.jpg
Ankara asv2021-10 img15 Atakule.jpg
It sits in the central part of Anatolia. The city is very big. More than 5.3 million people live in the urban center.
Ankara road map.png
Ankara road map.png
It is the second-largest city in Turkey.

Ankara has a very long history. Many different groups lived there long ago. You can see ruins from the Romans and the Ottomans.

Ankara Castle.jpg
Ankara Castle.jpg
A rocky hill rises over the Ankara River. The old Ankara Castle sits on top of this hill. The city is also a major hub for roads and trains.
Ankara asv2021-10 img19 Railway station.jpg
Ankara asv2021-10 img19 Railway station.jpg

The name Ankara is linked to many animals. It is the name for Angora rabbits and goats. These animals provide soft wool. The area also grows sweet grapes and honey. Even though the land is quite dry, the city has many green spaces. Ankara is a top place for science and new ideas. It has many universities for students to study.

160 words

Ankara is the capital city of Turkey.

Ankara asv2021-10 img15 Atakule.jpg
Ankara asv2021-10 img15 Atakule.jpg
It sits in the central part of a region called Anatolia. The city is very large and busy. More than 5.3 million people live in the urban center.
Ankara road map.png
Ankara road map.png
In total, about 6 million people live in the whole Ankara Province. This makes it the second-largest city in Turkey, after Istanbul. It is a very important place for business and industry.
Ankara asv2021-10 img19 Railway station.jpg
Ankara asv2021-10 img19 Railway station.jpg

The city works as a major hub for travel. It sits at the center of Turkey's road and railway networks.

Ankara asv2021-10 img19 Railway station.jpg
Ankara asv2021-10 img19 Railway station.jpg
Many people use these paths to move across the country. The government is also a very big employer there. Many people work for the state in the city. It is also a top place for science and new ideas.
Library Main Hall Columns.jpg
Library Main Hall Columns.jpg
Ankara is one of the top 100 science and technology clusters in the world.

Ankara has a very long and layered history. Many different groups lived there in the past. The Hattic and Hittite people lived there in the Bronze Age.

Ankara Castle.jpg
Ankara Castle.jpg
Later, the Phrygians, Lydians, and Persians all ruled the area. The Greeks and Romans also left their mark on the land.
AugustusAnkara2.jpg
AugustusAnkara2.jpg
Even the Celts, known as the Galatians, made it a main center.
Dying gaul.jpg
Dying gaul.jpg
Today, you can still find many archaeological sites from these old times.

Many famous names come from this place. In the past, the city was called Ancyra or Angora.

Ankara Castle.jpg
Ankara Castle.jpg
The name Angora gave its name to many different animals. These include Angora rabbits and Angora cats.
Ankara asv2021-10 img15 Atakule.jpg
Ankara asv2021-10 img15 Atakule.jpg
The long-haired Angora goat is also famous for its mohair. The area is well known for its honey and Muscat grapes.
Haci Bayram Mosque 01.jpg
Haci Bayram Mosque 01.jpg
Even though the region is quite dry, the city has many green spaces for people to enjoy.

The city became the capital of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. This happened after the Ottoman Empire fell. Before that, the Grand National Assembly was set up there in 1920. This group led the Turkish National Movement during the War of Independence. The historical center sits on a rocky hill.

Ankara Castle.jpg
Ankara Castle.jpg
This hill rises over the Ankara River. The old Ankara Castle still sits on top of that hill today.

387 words

Ankara is the capital city of Turkey.

Ankara road map.png
Ankara road map.png
It is located in the central part of the Anatolia region. The city serves as a major political and industrial hub. It is the second-largest city in Turkey by population, following Istanbul. The urban center holds over 5.3 million residents. In total, the Ankara Province has about 6 million people. The city is a vital center for the nation's road and railway networks.
Ankara asv2021-10 img19 Railway station.jpg
Ankara asv2021-10 img19 Railway station.jpg

Geographically, the historical center sits on a rocky hill. This hill rises above the left bank of the Ankara River. The river is a tributary of the larger Sakarya River. While the river was once a northern boundary for the old town, it has since been covered and diverted. The hill is still crowned by the ruins of Ankara Castle.

Ankara Castle.jpg
Ankara Castle.jpg
Although the region is one of the driest in Turkey, the city is quite green. It features many green areas per inhabitant. Most of the surrounding land consists of steppe vegetation. However, forested areas can be found on the southern periphery.

The history of Ankara is a complex layer of many civilizations. It began with the Hattic civilization during the Bronze Age. The Hittites absorbed these people around 2000 to 1700 BC. Later, the Phrygians expanded the city around 1000 BC. This growth followed a mass migration from Gordion after a major earthquake. The city saw rule from Lydians, Persians, and Greeks.

Dying gaul.jpg
Dying gaul.jpg
In 278 BC, the Celtic Galatians occupied the area. They made the city a headquarters for the Tectosages tribe. This period is why the city was often called Ancyra.
AnkaraColumnFar c.JPG
AnkaraColumnFar c.JPG

Roman rule brought significant changes to the city's status. In 25 BC, Emperor Augustus made it the capital of the province of Galatia. It became a grand metropolis with an estimated 200,000 people during its peak. The city was a strategic junction for imperial roads. These roads connected northern Anatolia in both north-south and east-west directions. One famous site is the Monumentum Ancyranum.

AugustusAnkara2.jpg
AugustusAnkara2.jpg
This temple contains the Res Gestae Divi Augusti. This is an official record of Augustus's actions carved into marble.

During the Byzantine period, Ankara became a center for Christian activity. It hosted several important church synods between 314 and 375 AD. The city also saw many imperial visits from leaders like Emperor Constans I and Julian. However, the city faced many challenges and invasions. The Sassanid Persians captured it in 622 AD. Later, the Arabs captured the city in 654 AD. Arabic sources called it Qalat as-Salasil, meaning "fortress of the chains."

Teodot Ankirski.jpg
Teodot Ankirski.jpg

The modern history of Ankara is tied to the birth of the Turkish Republic. The Grand National Assembly was established here on 23 April 1920. This body served as the headquarters for the Turkish National Movement. This movement led the country during the Turkish War of Independence. Following the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Ankara became the new capital. This transition occurred on 29 October 1923. The city replaced Istanbul as the seat of the new republic.

Anıtkabir ziyareti.jpeg
Anıtkabir ziyareti.jpeg

Ankara is also known for its unique names and cultural contributions. In the past, it was known as Angora in many European languages. This name lives on in several animal breeds. These include the Angora rabbit and the Angora cat. The long-haired Angora goat is also the source of mohair.

Ankara asv2021-10 img15 Atakule.jpg
Ankara asv2021-10 img15 Atakule.jpg
The local area is also famous for honey, Muscat grapes, and pears. Today, the city is a leader in modern science. It is ranked among the top 100 science and technology clusters globally.
Library Main Hall Columns.jpg
Library Main Hall Columns.jpg

601 words
🖼️ Images & Media (33)
File:Dying gaul.jpg
Dying gaul.jpg
File:AnkaraColumnFar c.JPG
AnkaraColumnFar c.JPG
File:Teodot Ankirski.jpg
Teodot Ankirski.jpg
File:Ottoman_Houses_Ankara.jpg
Ottoman_Houses_Ankara.jpg
File:Atatürk TBMM'den çıkarken.jpg
Atatürk TBMM'den çıkarken.jpg
File:Banks Street (Atatürk Boulevard) the Building of Ziraat Bankası (Agricultural Bank), 1930s (16851406391).jpg
Banks Street (Atatürk Boulevard) the...
File:Library Main Hall Columns.jpg
Library Main Hall Columns.jpg
File:Ankara road map.png
Ankara road map.png
File:Başkent Millet Bahçesi2.jpg
Başkent Millet Bahçesi2.jpg
File:Kızılay Square 001.jpg
Kızılay Square 001.jpg
File:Ankara_asv2021-10_img19_Railway_station.jpg
Ankara_asv2021-10_img19_Railway_station.jpg
File:Ankara_Tren_Garı.jpg
Ankara_Tren_Garı.jpg

+ 21 more

Up Next
🗺️
Central Anatolia region
Geography
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.