 |
Proud Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire,
yielded its privilege to Ankara on October 13,
1923. Sixteen days later the Republic of Turkey
was proclaimed. Ankara, known until that time
for its rabbits, cats and goats, became the geographic,
political and administrative center of Turkey
with all the government offices and foreign embassies
transferred here from Istanbul. This dramatic
change has profoundly affected the appearance
of the city. What was in effect an ancient Anatolian
town had to quickly acquire a new personality,
which it has done very successfully. Soon it was
no longer the modest Ankara of artisans and small
tradesmen, but a city hosting politicians, government
officials and foreign diplomats. The first buildings
to alter the skyline of Ankara were the Museum
of Ethnography and of Painting and Sculpture.
They no longer stand alone; Ankara counts a number
of skyscrapers, large shopping centers, five star
hotels and bank headquarters. The new imposing
Kocatepe Mosque, a combination of Ottoman and
classical architecture, has added a new touch
to the skyline of Ankara. The most important monument
of Ankara is undoubtedly the tomb of Kemal Atatürk,
a magnificent classic building appropriately designed
with somber lines and set on a vast esplanade.
Access to this, known in Turkish as Anitkabir,
is through a triumphant alley lined with granite
lions. It is a fitting monument to the greatness
of the founder of modern Turkey.
The Museum Of Anatolian Civilizations
A visit to the museum of Anatolian Civilizations
is the best way to come to terms with the splendors
and riches of Anatolia's long history which goes
back to the 7th millennium BC. This is surely
one of the world's most interesting museums for
the originality of its collections. It contains
more than 200,000 pieces, of which only a limited
number can be displayed due to lack of space.
The bronze objects alone number around 17,000
and there over 70,000 coins. The Karun treasures,
recently repatriated from the United States, are
shown in a special section. The museum is housed
in two buildings dating from the Ottoman era:
a caravanserai, "Kursunlu Han", built
during the reign of Sultan Murat II between 1440-50,
and the "Mahmut Pasa Bedesteni" (market)
built by two viziers of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror
between 1467-71.
|
