Ankara, Turkey — Overview
With its pleasing mix of Ottoman architecture, modern skyscrapers, domed mosques, minarets and a resplendent castle, Ankara is not only Turkey's capital but also its hidden gem. In recent years, careful restoration has breathed new life into many of the city's handsome Turkish buildings that now house art galleries, bistros and bazaars. Large leafy parks boast fountains, funfairs and boat rides while cobbled backstreets hide a myriad of pungent spice markets, coffee shops and sizzling food stalls. Ankara offers plenty of mystical eastern touches amidst its student-thronged university campus buildings, with a buzzing nightlife scene amongst the city's futuristic 20th-century spires. Blessed with a host of sophisticated restaurants and lovely bars and cafés, the city also offers visitors innumerable fine historical attractions. The oldest parts of Ankara surround a magnificent castle set in neat, flower-filled gardens. Several well-stocked museums contain priceless artifacts from the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras together with Hatti, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartu and Roman civilizations.
