Top Things to Do in the Ankara | Must-See Attractions & Experiences

Plan Your Travel To Ankara

Places To Visit In Ankara

Eymir Lake

An alluvial set lake, the Eymir Lake, located in the town of Ankara Golbasi, is a famous picnic spot. The Lake is inside a natural park frequented by locals for walking, jogging or cycling with a bike, which can be rented at the entrance. It is also known for bird watching, and the most common bird species found at the lake are mallard duck, elmabaş patka and bahrid. Water sports activities such as rowing and fishing are also available. A sports club, which also runs boathouses on the lake, organises rowing courses for everyone, irrespective of whether they are a member. Named after a Turkmen tribe called Eymür, the lake has two entrances, and only cars with a special permit are allowed inside the lake area to curb pollution. However, you can find free parking lots near both entrances. Read More

Believed to be the newest mosque in Ankara, the Melike Hatun Mosque is largely popular among the locals for its exhibition halls and modern features. Built on 19,500 square metres, the mosque can house around 7,000 people at a time and displays a unique style combining Ottoman, Seljuk and modern architecture. Within the mosque complex, you can also find a congress centre, civilisations museum, meeting halls and a five-story parking garage. The four-minaret mosque was completed in 2017 and is located in the old quarter of the capital's central Ulus neighbourhood. Each minaret of the mosque has three balconies and there are inscriptions made of gold leaf on the entrance doors. The interior of the dome is adorned with detailed designs, mostly warm colours and a tinge of blue that highlights the thought behind the modern structure. The mosque is named after a wealthy 14th-century lady, Melike Hatun, who built many madrasas, Turkish baths, gardens and mosques. Read More

Temple of Augustus

One of the most important Roman period ruins in Ankara, the Monumentum Ancyranum or the Temple of Augustus and Rome, is home to the “Deeds of the Divine Augustus” (Res Gestae Divi Augusti), the autobiography of the first Roman Emperor. Unfortunately, the temple can be viewed from the outside as it is in danger of collapse due to several climatic factors, including air pollution and earthquakes, and is not accessible to visitors for sightseeing. The Greek and Latin inscriptions preserved on the walls of the temple that describe Augustus’ achievements are the primary surviving source of the text as the original in Rome had disappeared. It was closed in 2016 for an indefinite period to carry out preservation work and thorough renovation. The temple, also on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage, was built between 25 B-20 BC after the Roman Empire captured Central Anatolia. Read More

Rahmi M. Koç Museum is the first industrial and transport museum in Ankara. Facing the Ankara Citadel, it is situated in the old quarters of two historic caravanserais. There are certain sections dedicated to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. A large chunk of the collection is believed to be donated by the famous Koc family. The lower floor houses a carpet gallery with agricultural machinery and pharmaceutical exhibits. Various old agricultural tools such as Turkey’s first tractor, a 20th-century flour mill and the Agricultural Aircraft: Cessna 188 can be seen on this floor. The ground floor has everyday life tools such as the earliest home-type pasta-cutting machine, road transport vehicles and Safranhan Brasserie with 2 restaurants and a terrace. The upper floor features exhibits displaying rail transport items, communication instruments, navigation and maritime collection. The collections include models of a British Royal Navy vessel and ‘Crusader’ Hydroplane, railway objects from Orient Express, Klingsor Gramophone and typewriters. The museum also offers fun and exploratory activities to visitors, including train rides for children, workshops for adults and teacher seminars. Read More

The Roman Baths of Ankara is an open-air museum featuring the ruined remains of an ancient Roman bath complex. It is situated on Çankırı Avenue around 400 m from Ulus, the heart of the old Ankara district. Along with the baths, this site includes an entire building featuring a palaestra (area for physical exercise), a colonnaded street, and other unidentified structures. The Roman Baths of Ankara were discovered by excavations carried out in 1937-1944, and after some time, the authorities opened them to the public. The mass on which the baths are built has traces of a human settlement from the Phrygian period. This 2000-year-old Roman bath includes an Apodyterium (changing areas), Frigidarium (cold section), Tepidarium (warm section), a Caldarium (hot section), and a Piscina (swimming pool). Notably, Roman Baths were constructed in the 3rd century AD during the time of Emperor Caracalla as a tribute to the Greco-Roman God of medicine - Asclepios. Numerous epitaphs, gravel steles, lion statues, and sarcophagi stand around the bath structure. Roman Baths stand as a significant reminder of the Roman rule in Ankara. Read More

Located in Hacettepe, Ankara, the State Museum of Paintings and Sculpture is dedicated to fine arts. It showcases an eclectic range of contemporary art from the late 19th century to the present day. The museum has a collection of permanent works that are the world’s finest pieces of Turkish art as well as some modern temporary exhibits by foreign artists. The artworks reflect the formation and development periods of Turkish plastic arts and are an archive of modern Turkish artists. The museum hosts several paintings and traditional printing workshops and also organises special workshops for Turkish ornamental arts, ceramic, and sculpture. Individual and competitive exhibitions are also held in the galleries of the museum. Other activities such as concerts, theatrical performances and movie projections are also held in the hall that has been renovated keeping in mind its original design. Being a modern museum of arts, the State Museum of Paintings and Sculpture offers a surreal experience to the visitors with its fine exhibitions, modern cafeteria, sales outlet and audio system. Read More