Travel Guide > Europe > Turkey > Central Anatolia > Ankara
Ankara, Turkey's capital and second largest city, has a long history. It was first made a capital by the Galatians in the 3rd century BC, before being conquered by various armies through the ages. Kemal Atatürk made it the base for the War of Liberation and as a consequence of that role and its strategic location, it was made capital of the new Turkish Republic in 1923. Visitors to the city can learn all about Atatürk at his mausoleum, Anıtkabir. The various Roman and Galatian ruins in Ankara offer further evidence of the importance this city has had through the ages.
Ankara, like most areas in the higher central parts of the country, experience weather conditions similar to the continental climates of Eastern Europe and Central and Northern Asia, though less cold in winter.
Winters last from December to February with around 5 degrees Celsius during the day and around -5 at night, though -25 degrees Celsius has been recorded. Summers last from June to September with 26 to 30 degrees Celsius and nights of 14 degrees Celsius. Precipitation is low throughout the year with around 25 mm of rain (or sometimes snow) on average though particulary May and December are twice as wet. July and August have only a day or so with some rain.
Ankara's Esenboğa International Airport (ESB) is located 28 km from the centre of Ankara. Turkish Airlines has a secondary hub at the airport and is the dominant airline. Condor Airlines, BMI, Austrian and Lufthansa are among a handful of international airlines that service the airport.
A taxi ride to the city's centre costs 80 YTL or more one way. Alternatively, Havaş airport buses cost 10 YTL (~ US$8/€6) and take ~45 minutes to make the journey. Many consider the buses more comfortable than the taxis!
Turkish Railways has several rail connections between Ankara and Istanbul and Ankara going east towards Kayseri, Erzurum and other cities. The train to Tehran in Iran stops in Ankara as well.
Varan and Ulusoy are just a few of dozens of companies offering bus travel to and from Ankara to numerous destinations throughout Turkey.
| Property | Address | Type | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ankara Ogulturk Hotel | Ruzgarli Esdost Sokak No. 6 Ulus / Ankara | Hotel | 84 |
| Sahinbey Hotel | Hisarpark Caddesi Alataþ Sokak No:5 Ulus-Ankara | Hotel | 77 |
This is version 11. Last edited at 14:34 on Aug 13, 09 by Utrecht (+126). 14 articles link to this page.

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