Turkey Capital

Ankara has been the capital city of Turkey since the founding of the Turkish republic in 1923, and it is the second largest city in the country behind Istanbul. In 1920, Kemal Ataturk decided to base his new government of the nation here rather than in the city of Istanbul and began working on the creation of the Turkish Republic. Located near the center of the country, Ankara is also a prominent industrial and commercial city.

The current population of the Ankara province is an estimated 5.28 million, and the area experienced a massive surge in growth after becoming the capital city. The unexpected growth of the city caused unplanned, illegal urban architecture in the city and many of these buildings did not have power or running water. Many of the remaining housing from the rapid expansion of the 1950s is being replaced with housing complexes. The population of Ankara was around 75,000 in 1927, but by 2013, Ankara Province had a population of over five million people. Over 4.5 million people live in the urban centre of Ankara.

Attractions in the city include Islamic architecture and mosques, ancient Roman and Ottoman archaeological sites, as well as modern restaurants, shopping, marketplaces, and great parks and recreational facilities. The Ankara Citadel, Roman theatre, temples of Augustus and Rome, and the Column of Julian are perhaps the best examples of ancient civilisations that once ruled or conquered Turkey. The War of Independence and State Art and Culture Museums are also great attractions to visit in Ankara.

The climate of Ankara is a hot-summer Mediterranean environment that experiences cold and snowy winters as well as dry and hot summers. Most of the rainfall in the country takes place in autumn or spring. Monthly average temperatures in the city of Ankara range from 0.3 degrees Celsius (32.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in January to 23.5 degrees Celsius (74.3 degrees Fahrenheit) in July. The mean temperature throughout any time of the year in Turkey is 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 degrees Fahrenheit). The best time to visit Ankara is during July or August when the city sees over 350 average monthly hours of sunshine.