On October 13, 1923 beautiful Istanbul, the previous capital of the Ottoman Empire, yielded its privilege to Ankara. Sixteen days later, the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed. Since then Ankara became the geographic, political and administrative center of Turkey. As a result, all of the government offices and foreign embassies were transferred here, from Istanbul. So what was once an ancient Anatolian town acquired a new personality and a new modern look.

The first buildings to change the skyline of Ankara were the Museums of Ethnography and of Painting and Sculpture. However, they no longer stand alone. Ankara now has a number of skyscrapers and luxurious high-rise hotels and business centers.

One of the most important monuments of Ankara is the tomb of Ataturk, a building appropriately designed for, the great stature of the founder of modern Turkey. On our cover is Ataturk's "Address to the Youth of Turkey". It is interesting that he considered the youth of Turkey to be the ultimate protectors of the republic and at the same time, the inheritors of all of his hard work on their behalf.

So, dear reader, welcome to the 2003 edition of The Guide Ankara!

As is the case all over the world, Ankara, as a capital city, also has its share of new restaurants and nightclubs and the major ones have been highlighted in our What’s New and Interesting article (The others you will see duly noted in our Listings Section!).

This issue of The Guide Ankara is really chock full of useful information – for those visiting Ankara as well as the residents. We’ve gone all out and prepared articles encompassing Helpful Hints for visitors and residents, where to eat and drink, where to shop, where to do sports and for those outdoorsy types, The Hash Group will be of interest. We continue with information on weekend getaways from Ankara to include Safranbolu (historic buildings), Kartalkaya (skiing) and our major article of the beautiful city of Cappadocia and its surroundings. We’ve also given you information on Doing Business in Ankara, a bit on Ankara’s History and Ankara Living as well as information on Education in Ankara.

For those interested in Arts & Culture, we’ve obtained the schedules for the Ankara State Opera & Ballet, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra as well as Presidential Symphony Orchestra. Let’s not forget the 20th International Music Festival and the Painting and Sculpture Museum’s exhibits program.

Although Ankara is the capital city for the country, we must remind you that it is not just a place for administration, politics and finance. We invite you to read all about the interesting and inviting possibilities of our capital, in The Guide Ankara, and then, when you know all about it, go out and enjoy our capital city! We are certain that you won’t be disappointed!