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Ankara

Capital of TürkiyeIn the central part of Anatolia, far from the sea, Ankara stands at about 940 m above sea level and has a cold, dry climate. Its old centre is a rocky hill topped by the ruins of Ankara Castle.

Why it's the capital

During the War of Independence, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ran his resistance movement from Ankara, starting in 1920. On 13 October 1923 the city officially replaced Istanbul, the old Ottoman capital, and the Republic was proclaimed on 29 October 1923.

Fun facts

  1. In Roman times the city was called Ancyra, and the walls of its Temple of Augustus and Rome carry the emperor Augustus's own account of his deeds, cut in marble.
  2. Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Atatürk, stands on a hill called Anıttepe, and his remains were moved there in 1953.
  3. Angora rabbits, Angora cats and long-haired Angora goats, which give mohair wool, are all named after Angora, an older name for Ankara.

Finding it on the globe

Aim a little north-west of the centre of Türkiye, well inland: Ankara is much closer to the Black Sea coast than to the Mediterranean coast.

Easy to mix up

Many players tap Istanbul, Türkiye's biggest city, but the capital has been Ankara since 1923.

Sources: Wikipedia: Ankara, Wikipedia: Anıtkabir