Turkey İnformation in english
What are 3 interesting facts about Turkey?
Banks which change money and accept Euro- and Traveller’s cheques are marked accordingly. Branches of all large Turkish banks are found in all cities and tourist centres. To change money in the streets is illegal.
ecause of strict cleansing regulations in the Islamic religion there have been many public baths (hamam) in Turkey since the Middle Ages. In general men and women go to different baths. If in a city there is only one bath, men and women use it on different days. In the middle of the bath-room surrounded by open cabins, is the so-called “Göbektaşı”. On this marble platform the guest, clothed with a “pestemal” round his hips, stretches out for a while to perspire. After that his/her skin is rubbed and massaged by attendants, a “tellak” (for men) or a “natır” dor women). Many old baths have interesting architecture. You find these particularly especially in Istanbul and Bursa.
In big cities and holiday resorts you can rent a car from national and international car leasing companies. The fees correspond to European prices.
Turkey has around sixty decades of tea production experience. Year after year, using this experience, the flavor of our tea has ongoing to better to satisfy tea drinkers.
We use a mix of established cultivation methods along with the modern-day technologies and equipment in our processing so your Turkish tea experience will be a joy.
There are regarding 200 000 smaller tea growers in East Black Sea Region of Turkey. They pick green tea three flush in a year from May to October in highland lands for east Black Sea. Yearly new tea production is about 800 000 tons.
Among 155 000-160 000 tons black tea are produced in Turkey yearly. General Directorate of Tea Enterprises has forty-six tea processing factories and produces 65% of full production. Personal sector have a whole lot of tiny tea processing factories and produces 35% of Turkish tea.
For finest results, lime-free water, a tea-kettle and a ceramic teapot are recommended.
After rinsing the clear teapot with lukewarm water, place in one teaspoon of tea per person, while the water is boiled in the tea-kettle.
Boiling waters from the tea-kettle is put inside the teapot.
The flame below the tea-kettle is made down and the teapot is put onto the tea-kettle so that it boils with the steam underneath.
The tea must brew for 10-15 mins.
The tea is then ready for pouring into the small tea glasses, usually 1/3 or 1/4 full dependent how dark or how lighting you prefer your tea. The tea magnifier is then topped-up with hot waters from the tea-kettle. The pot of tea should then be drunk within twenty minutes.
INGREDIENTS
1 kg minced beef
500 gm lamb fat
2 onions
2 bunches parsley
salt and black pepper
5 large onions
To garnish:
5 large onions
2 bunches parsley
1 clove garlic
tomatoes
green peppers
adana kebab
Adana Kebab recipe
Put the beef and lamb fat through the mincer together. Add 2 bunches chopped parsley, finely chopped onions, salt and pepper, 3 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper and knead thoroughly.
With meaty hands wipe the special broad?bladed skewers needed for shish meat balls to ensure that the mixture will stick.
Taking an egg-sized piece of the mixture at a time, put it on a skewer and shape it around the skewer, elongating it to a length of about 10 cm.
Grill on both sides.
Cut the onions into thin slices and mix with the crushed garlic and chopped parsley Garnish each piece of grilled kebab with this mixture.
Serve with grilled tomatoes and green peppers on flat pide bread.
INGREDIENTS
1 kilo trout, 1 medium onion
1 medium carrot
4 sprigs of parsley, 1 bay leaf 2 springs thyme
1 knob butter, 2 tomatoes salt and pepper
ALABALIK FIRIN KIZARTMASI (BAKED TROUT) recipe
Place the chopped onion, chopped carrot, parsley, thyme and bay leaves in a saucepan, add 2?3 cups of water and simmer for half an hour with the lid of the saucepan on. Strain.
Remove the gills of two or three trout and gut them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and place in an oven pan greased with butter.
Pour the boiled vegetable juice and the grated tomatoes (Cut in half and grate with the cut side towards the grater. Discard the skins) over the trout.
Bake in a medium oven for about one hour, basting with the juice occasionally.
Nutritional habits are shaped according to the prevalent cultural - geographical - ecological - economic characteristics and features and the historical process.
When one talks about the Turkish cuisine, the term should be understood as the totality of foods and beverages which provide nutrition to the people living in Turkey, the ways of preparing and preserving them; techniques, equipment and utensils required for this, eating manners and all the practices and beliefs which are developed around this cuisine.
The richness of variety Turkish cuisine possesses is due to several factors. In summary, the variety of products offered by the lands of Asia and Anatolia, interaction with numerous different cultures over a long historical process, the new tastes developed in the palace kitchens of the Seljuk and Ottoman empires have all played a part in shaping the new character of our culinary culture.
Turkish Cuisine, which in general consists of sauced dishes prepared with cereals, various vegetables and some meat, soups, cold dishes cooked with olive oil, pastry dishes and dishes made from wild vegetation has also produced a series of health foods such as pekmez, yogurt, bulgur etc. The eating habits which reflect the tastes changing from one location to the next, gains a new meaning and near - sacredness on special occasions, celebrations and ceremonies.
Turkish Cuisine, while rich in variety and taste-bud friendly, also contains examples which could provide a source for healthy and balanced diets and vegetarian cuisines.
What are 3 interesting facts about Turkey?
Banks which change money and accept Euro- and Traveller’s cheques are marked accordingly. Branches of all large Turkish banks are found in all cities and tourist centres. To change money in the streets is illegal.
ecause of strict cleansing regulations in the Islamic religion there have been many public baths (hamam) in Turkey since the Middle Ages. In general men and women go to different baths. If in a city there is only one bath, men and women use it on different days. In the middle of the bath-room surrounded by open cabins, is the so-called “Göbektaşı”. On this marble platform the guest, clothed with a “pestemal” round his hips, stretches out for a while to perspire. After that his/her skin is rubbed and massaged by attendants, a “tellak” (for men) or a “natır” dor women). Many old baths have interesting architecture. You find these particularly especially in Istanbul and Bursa.
In big cities and holiday resorts you can rent a car from national and international car leasing companies. The fees correspond to European prices.
What are the Turks drinking?
Turkey has around sixty decades of tea production experience. Year after year, using this experience, the flavor of our tea has ongoing to better to satisfy tea drinkers.We use a mix of established cultivation methods along with the modern-day technologies and equipment in our processing so your Turkish tea experience will be a joy.
There are regarding 200 000 smaller tea growers in East Black Sea Region of Turkey. They pick green tea three flush in a year from May to October in highland lands for east Black Sea. Yearly new tea production is about 800 000 tons.
Among 155 000-160 000 tons black tea are produced in Turkey yearly. General Directorate of Tea Enterprises has forty-six tea processing factories and produces 65% of full production. Personal sector have a whole lot of tiny tea processing factories and produces 35% of Turkish tea.
How to make Turkish Tea?
For finest results, lime-free water, a tea-kettle and a ceramic teapot are recommended.After rinsing the clear teapot with lukewarm water, place in one teaspoon of tea per person, while the water is boiled in the tea-kettle.
Boiling waters from the tea-kettle is put inside the teapot.
The flame below the tea-kettle is made down and the teapot is put onto the tea-kettle so that it boils with the steam underneath.
The tea must brew for 10-15 mins.
The tea is then ready for pouring into the small tea glasses, usually 1/3 or 1/4 full dependent how dark or how lighting you prefer your tea. The tea magnifier is then topped-up with hot waters from the tea-kettle. The pot of tea should then be drunk within twenty minutes.
how to cook turkish adana kebab?
INGREDIENTS
1 kg minced beef
500 gm lamb fat
2 onions
2 bunches parsley
salt and black pepper
5 large onions
To garnish:
5 large onions
2 bunches parsley
1 clove garlic
tomatoes
green peppers
adana kebab
Adana Kebab recipe
Put the beef and lamb fat through the mincer together. Add 2 bunches chopped parsley, finely chopped onions, salt and pepper, 3 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper and knead thoroughly.
With meaty hands wipe the special broad?bladed skewers needed for shish meat balls to ensure that the mixture will stick.
Taking an egg-sized piece of the mixture at a time, put it on a skewer and shape it around the skewer, elongating it to a length of about 10 cm.
Grill on both sides.
Cut the onions into thin slices and mix with the crushed garlic and chopped parsley Garnish each piece of grilled kebab with this mixture.
Serve with grilled tomatoes and green peppers on flat pide bread.
How to make Turkish trout roast? (Oven)
INGREDIENTS
1 kilo trout, 1 medium onion
1 medium carrot
4 sprigs of parsley, 1 bay leaf 2 springs thyme
1 knob butter, 2 tomatoes salt and pepper
ALABALIK FIRIN KIZARTMASI (BAKED TROUT) recipe
Place the chopped onion, chopped carrot, parsley, thyme and bay leaves in a saucepan, add 2?3 cups of water and simmer for half an hour with the lid of the saucepan on. Strain.
Remove the gills of two or three trout and gut them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and place in an oven pan greased with butter.
Pour the boiled vegetable juice and the grated tomatoes (Cut in half and grate with the cut side towards the grater. Discard the skins) over the trout.
Bake in a medium oven for about one hour, basting with the juice occasionally.
How is the Turkish cuisine culture?
Nutritional habits are shaped according to the prevalent cultural - geographical - ecological - economic characteristics and features and the historical process.
When one talks about the Turkish cuisine, the term should be understood as the totality of foods and beverages which provide nutrition to the people living in Turkey, the ways of preparing and preserving them; techniques, equipment and utensils required for this, eating manners and all the practices and beliefs which are developed around this cuisine.
The richness of variety Turkish cuisine possesses is due to several factors. In summary, the variety of products offered by the lands of Asia and Anatolia, interaction with numerous different cultures over a long historical process, the new tastes developed in the palace kitchens of the Seljuk and Ottoman empires have all played a part in shaping the new character of our culinary culture.
Turkish Cuisine, which in general consists of sauced dishes prepared with cereals, various vegetables and some meat, soups, cold dishes cooked with olive oil, pastry dishes and dishes made from wild vegetation has also produced a series of health foods such as pekmez, yogurt, bulgur etc. The eating habits which reflect the tastes changing from one location to the next, gains a new meaning and near - sacredness on special occasions, celebrations and ceremonies.
Turkish Cuisine, while rich in variety and taste-bud friendly, also contains examples which could provide a source for healthy and balanced diets and vegetarian cuisines.
How to make delicious traditional flavors Stew
Human beings made the discovery that clay could be shaped in the upper palaeolithic age, but it was not until around 7000 BC that they began to make pots for storage. They gradually improved their techniques and learned how to fire the finished articles to produce durable vessels. The next important step forward was the invention of the pottr’si wheel at the end of the 4th millennium BC in Mesopotamia, and this spread to Egypt, Syria and Cilicia early in the 3rd millennium BC, and to central and western Anatolia in the middle of the 3rd millennium BC. In many parts of Turkey today traditional pottery production still continues, such as at Avanos in Cappadocia. In the village of Dölek in Gümüshane in northeastern Turkey women make güveç or cooking pots known locally as gudi or gudu. In the latter region it is traditional to cook güveç stews for the evening meal during the month of Ramazan, while in the district of Inebolu in Kastamonu these are eaten for the morning meal.
In the town of Beypazari the Ismet Degirmencioglu bakery, which has been run by the same family for the past 220 years, is famous for its delicious güveç. Pottery making began in the village of Kinik in the province of Bilecik southeast of Istanbul about 120 years ago, when high-quality clay deposits were discovered by the famous potter Sakir Aga, and today is the principal occupation here. The pottery and ceramics produced in Kinik are sold all over Turkey and also exported. Women in the village of Sorkun near Mihaliççik in Eskisehir still make pottery using neolithic age techniques, firing their jars or çömlek over open fires. The same method can be seen in Gökeyüp near Salihli in Manisa. The technique is as follows: straw, hay, sawdust, wood ash, sand and water are added to the clay, which is then kneaded thoroughly until no air bubbles remain. It is shaped by hand or on a wheel, and then partially dried, when the surface is scraped smooth to close the pores, so ensuring that it is impermeable.
Then it is left to dry thoroughly, covered with slip, glazed and finally fired. The colour of the finished pot depends on many factors, such as the temperature and type of the kiln, and the amount of oxygen admitted during firing. Now let us come to the delicious casserole dishes cooked in the traditional güveç and known by the same name. Slow even cooking in the closed pot brings out the full flavour of the ingredients.
Güveç
Meat güveç dishes in particular have an important place in traditional Turkish cuisine. The meat is cut into chunks and placed in the greased güveç together with the other ingredients, such as vegetables, herbs and spices. The pot is then covered by a pottery lid or by a thick sheet of pastry, although today aluminium foil is a practical alternative. Vegetable dishes without meat cooked with olive oil can also be prepared in the same way. Ideally the güveç should be cooked in traditional tandýrs or pit ovens, which are still used in some rural areas, but in towns and cities people either use their own modern ovens or take them to the local bakery.
Discovering The Delights of Turkish Cuisine
Food is without douht one of the most popular aspects of any culture. As a natural preoccupation of our daily life, and with is infinite diversity and scope for innovation everyone can experience its fasination, whether as cook or consumer.
And culinary culture encompasses far more than the food itself. There are all the appurtenance of the table, the beautiful cloths, plates, dishes and cutlery which in time become treasured antiques. So when we speak of Turkish culinary culture, we sould not forget the 13th century Seljuk bowls, 15th century İznik plates, tortoiseshell spoons, Beykoz glassware, and gilded copper pans which grace museums and collections today.
İznik ware, for instance, which fetches dizzying figures at auction in Europe and America, was not produced for displaying in glass cases but used on a daily basis by the court and wealthy households. At palace banquets it was customary for each guest to take a dish home as a souvenir of the occasion, as we learn from imperial palace records.
Relations between sophisticated haute cuisine and the domestic cuisine of the ordinary people are always closer than they might seem at first sight. In Turkey, for instance, the palace dish known as hünkar beğendi, consisting of stewed lamb with aubergine puree, is actually a refined version of ali nazik, a regional dish from the province of Gaziantep, served in a gilded rather than copper porringer.
Cooking for princes and statesmen meant that no expense was spared in putting new interpretations on dishes whose roots could often be traced back to those of simple country cottages. The inventiveness and specialised skills which are the mark of the haute cuisine chef, combine with the underlying concepts which give each cuisine its distinctive individuality. The same concepts also lend a new identity to dishes borrowed from neighbouring cultures. Examples in the Turkish case are dishes such as çerkes tavuğu (Circassian chicken with walnuts), arnavut ciğeri (Albanian liver), rumeli böreği (Rumelian layered pastry), Özbek pilavı (Uzbek pilaf), kısır (cracked wheat salad) and fava (broad bean puree).
Like every great cuisine the Turkish has assimilated and redesigned dishes of provincial and foreign origin into a coherent diversity stamped with its own concept of flavour and relationships between ingredients. In the same way formerly exotic ingredients, such as the American tomato have become as familiar as any native vegetable. A notable turning point for the Turkish cuisine was the 16th century, when Istanbul reached its height as a cosmopolitan imperial capital and flourishing trade centre.
Today gourmets and chefs have become conscious of their deht to culinary heritages, and the need not only to preserve but also to create anew within these legacies which have evolved over long centuries.
Turkish as spoken in Turkey soetimes called Osmanlı belongs to the great family of Turco-Tatar languages which stretches slantwise across Eurasia, as far as the basin of the Lena where yakut, a Turkish language, is spoken on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. It is the westen and southernmost repsentative pf the Turkish Language, its nearest neighbour in the same family being Azeri which in spoken Azebaijan. A relationship between the Turco-Tartar family of the of languages and other Altaic languages, and even with other language groups with a similar similar structur, (Finno-Ugrian languages such as Finnish and Hungarian), may exist but has not yet been universally admitted.
Language and Literature turkish?
Turkish as spoken in Turkey soetimes called Osmanlı belongs to the great family of Turco-Tatar languages which stretches slantwise across Eurasia, as far as the basin of the Lena where yakut, a Turkish language, is spoken on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. It is the westen and southernmost repsentative pf the Turkish Language, its nearest neighbour in the same family being Azeri which in spoken Azebaijan. A relationship between the Turco-Tartar family of the of languages and other Altaic languages, and even with other language groups with a similar similar structur, (Finno-Ugrian languages such as Finnish and Hungarian), may exist but has not yet been universally admitted.
Places to visit turkey Ankara information?
Where is the capital of Turkey?
What is the history of Ankara?
According to excavation findings, the citadel hill was in habited in the Stone Age. After the fall of the Hittite Empire in 1200 B.C. Ankara fell into the hands of the Phrygians, who established a big city to the south of the hill.
When Alexander the Great marched to the south through Asia Minor, cutting the famous knot in Gordion, he also captured Ankara. After his death, the city came under the authority of the Seleucids. In 278 B.C. the Celts (Galatians) came to Anatolia and made Ankara their capital, calling it Galatia. In 25 B.C. Galatia was a Roman province. With the Romans, the best period of this old settlement began. In this age also, the Temple of Augustus, the thermal baths and the column of Julian were built. Under the rule of the Byzantines Ankara became a metropolis. In the years 314 and 358 A.D. councils were forme: here. In the 6th and 7th century A.D. the sovereignty of the city changed between the Persians and the Arabs. Later, Crusaders captured the city. In 1071 the city passed into the hands of the Seljuks, and later on the city was captured by Ottoman Turks in 1360.
In the early 1900s when most medicines were still being produced by hand in laboratories, pharmacist Abdi Ibrahim Barut founded a firm for the manufacture of patent medicines. Called Abdi Ibrahim Müstahzarat-i Ispençiyariye, it was the fifth of its kind in Turkey, after Beþir Kemal, Ethem Pertev, Hasan Rauf and Kanzuk. Production commenced in 1919 with Strengthening Syrup, Excellent Laxative and Bromo-Valerin, and this family firm is today still run by Abdi Ibrahim’s grandson, Nezih Barut, himself a pharmacist and chairman of the board. In December last year the company established a museum at its modern factory.
Many inhabitants of Istanbul will recognise this museum the moment they see it as Halk Eczanesi, a pharmacy which served the people of Heybeliada island from 1903 onwards. The entire shop, including the shop front, clock, cash register and stock of medicines, has been reconstructed in the factory grounds at Hadimköy. Halk Eczanesi was first opened in 1903 by pharmacist Yusuf Süleyman Adali, and later taken over by the Prokoz family, who ran it for the next 40 years, before selling the business to the Gürçays. All the subsequent owners kept the original name over the years.
When Arslan Gürçay’s wife died, he sold the pharmacy, together with its accumulation of medicine packets, spirit lamps, mortars, bottles, autoclaves (sterilisers), tablet making equipment, huge syringes and photographs dating back as far as the 1940s, to the Abdi Ibrahim firm.
Aware of the historic interest of the shop and its contents, Nezih Barut decided to preserve it intact down to the smallest detail, with its door and window, sign, lamps bottles and other original fittings and contents. It was dismantled and transported to Hadimköy, where it was reconstructed as a fascinating glimpse into Turkish pharmaceutical history. The beautiful old bottles and original medicine boxes, many made by firms no longer in existence today, stand on the shelves, just as they did so many decades ago.
Toxic medicines are kept in the red-painted sections of the cabinets, which although dilapidated from long use, are still marvellous examples of rustic workmanship. Nezih Barut explains that the firm wishes to contribute to the preservation of Turkish pharmaceutical history for future generations, and hopes to extend the collection still further. To visit this fascinating pharmacy museum,
When Alexander the Great marched to the south through Asia Minor, cutting the famous knot in Gordion, he also captured Ankara. After his death, the city came under the authority of the Seleucids. In 278 B.C. the Celts (Galatians) came to Anatolia and made Ankara their capital, calling it Galatia. In 25 B.C. Galatia was a Roman province. With the Romans, the best period of this old settlement began. In this age also, the Temple of Augustus, the thermal baths and the column of Julian were built. Under the rule of the Byzantines Ankara became a metropolis. In the years 314 and 358 A.D. councils were forme: here. In the 6th and 7th century A.D. the sovereignty of the city changed between the Persians and the Arabs. Later, Crusaders captured the city. In 1071 the city passed into the hands of the Seljuks, and later on the city was captured by Ottoman Turks in 1360.
Information about ankara beypazarı?
With its beautiful 200-year-old houses, interesting local dress and inviting weekend market, Beypazarı is an extraordinary place which deserves to be much better known. It is also the carrot capital of Turkey, where a surprising number of things come with an orange tinge!
As recently as 10 years ago, Beypazarı was virtually forgotten, a small town just one hour’s drive out of Ankara, but a world away from it in atmosphere. Then, under an imaginative local administration, the old town center was revived. Many of the lovely old Ottoman houses were restored, and some of them were turned into hotels and restaurants. Old handicrafts, such as cloth-weaving, were given a higher profile, and a determined effort was made to publicize what the town had to offer. The result was astonishing. These days, Beypazarı is a thriving small town, best visited on the weekend, when there is a lively street market. To date, almost 400 houses have been restored, and many more are on their way to recovery. One is open to the public as a small museum offering an opportunity to see the lavish interior fittings and the curious bathrooms tucked away inside cupboards.
Lords of the Bazaar
Like most Anatolian towns, Beypazarı has a very long history. Its ancient name was Logania, and remains from the Hittite, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods have been found in and around town. At one time, it was governed by the Germiyanoğlus, who also ruled nearby Kütahya in the period following the collapse of the Seljuk Empire. Villagers used to come into town from the surrounding area to sell their goods in the bazaar, hence the name Beypazarı which means “the Lord of the Bazaars”!
Even today, the bazaar is well worth a few hours of anybody’s time. Small shops line narrow, vine-draped streets, where blacksmiths, and an excess number of quiltmakers live peacefully in the past. They will be quick to say “hoş geldiniz” (welcome) and offer you a glass of çay (tea). Life for them is tranquil, unpretentious, and seemingly happy.
On weekends the bazaar spills out into Alaeddin Sokağı, the main street, where women set up stalls and sell herbs such as blackthorn and basil, alongside bottled carrot juice, and carrot flavored lokum (Turkish delight), a testament to Beypazarı’s role as carrot capital of Turkey. Many of them wear colorful printed shawls that cover their head and shoulders but which also make excellent tablecloths !
English information about Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey.
It sometimes comes as a surprise to foreigners, when they discover that Ankara, rather than Istanbul, is the Turkish capital. But, in 1923, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk moved the capital to a location right in the heart of anatolia, in the hope of forgetting the Ottoman past and getting the new Turkish Republic off to a fresh start. Today, this is where you will find all the foreign embassies and international delegations. It’s not a beautiful city, but it does have its pockets of history, especially around Ulus and the hilltop Citadel (Kale). Parts of the city center are also lively and sophisticated, with some great restaurants and shops.
 |
| atakule |
When they first settled here in c. 1200 BC, the Hittites named Ankara Ankuwah. Later, the site was occupied by the Phrygians, Lydians and Persians. After “untying” the Gordion Knot by slicing through it with his sword, Alexander the Great arrived in Ankara (then Ankyra) in 333 BC; capturing it swiftly, he then pressed on to Cappadocia. As Angora, Ankara eventually became the capital of the Roman province of Galatia, and proceeded to protif from its location on the imperial trade routes.
The year 1402 marked an important date in the city’s history. Having devastated the Ottomans at the Battle of Ankara, Tamerlane imprisoned the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I in a cage and paraded him around town.
Five hundred years later, with Istanbul still threatened with foreign occupation, Atatürk declared Ankara the capital of the new Turkish Republic on 13 October, 1923. At first the Istanbul embassies refused to recolate to an under-developed town full of mud-plastered homes without water or electricity. But, when they were offered free land, they soon began constructing new buildings. The German and Austrian architects who helped Atatürk dream up the city plan predicted that the population (which was 30,000 at the time) would eventually reach 800,000. Today, it’s roughly 4.5 million.
A quick look at old Ankara
The best place to begin exploring Ankara is the historic Citadel (Hisar/Kale). Now surrounded by sturdy walls, this part of town was first settled in Roman times. On the hillside just outside the walls stands the hugely important Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, while the Rahmi M. Koç Museum is located nearby in the old Çengel Han caravanserai. The courtyard of the colorful Pirinç Hanı is filled with antique shops and cafes.
Although it was only a provincial town until 1923, Ankara began to expand rapidly after it replaced Istanbul as the capital, and many of the monuments from its period are in Ulus, below the Citadel. The former Grand National Assembly building now houses the Museum of the War of Independence. Across from it is a huge statue of Atatürk (Heykel). It was built before Atatürk introduced the Turkish alphabet as part of his reform, so the inscription is in Arabic. Ankara Palas, an elegant mansion which witnessed many events in the early years of the Republic, is also nearby.
Ulus also shelters the remains of the old Roman city, including the Column of Julian, which used to bear a statue of the young Roman Emperor Julian (r. 361-363 AD). Near it are the remains of a Roman bath complex. Beside the Hacı Bayram Veli Mosque, the Temple of Augustus is one of Ankara’s most impressive Roman monuments. Ironically, this polytheistic structure and the neighboring mosque are connected to each other. The temple walls bear Geek and Latin inscriptions, chronicling important events ,n the life of the Emperor Augustus (r. 27 BC-14 AD), as well as details of the imperial expenditure!
ankara
Among Ankara’s oldest mosques, the Hacı Bayram Veli Mosque is still one of the city’s most frequently visited sites, even though it lost some of its popularity to the moch larger Kocatepe Mosque in Kızılay in 1987. Known as a patron of the poor and the needy, Hacı Bayram Veli, who also founded the Bayram order of dervishes, died and was buried here in 1430; part of the adjacent temple was reused to provide a madrasa (theological school) for the complex.
Ankara Citadel
Full of cobblestoned streets lined with wooden houses, Ankara’s citadel was originally built 3,000 years ago by the Hittites, although what you see today are remnants of a later citadel built by the Byzantine Emperor Michael III (r. 842-867). From Ak Kale (White Castle) at the top, you get a wonderful view out over Ankara. The area immediately below you is where the famous Roman General Pompey the Great defeated the frightful King Mithridates of Pontus in 65 BC.
The Alaeddin Mosque, near the south gate, is a splendid, 12th-century Seljuk work of art. Also beautiful is the Seljuk Aslanhane Mosque, whose roof is supported with 24 wooden pillars. This is one of the most outstanding buildings in the city. If you go inside, take a look at the exquisite pulpit which dates back to 1209. The mosque’s founder is buried in the garden, in the sole example of a Seljuk tomb in Ankara. The nearby Ahi Elvan Mosque is overshadowed by the Aslanhane, but is still worth a quick look.
The Pirinç Hanı (Copper Bazaar), between these two mosques, was erected in the 18th century to provide accommodation for travelers. Used by the military during the Turkish War of Independence, the building now houses over 40 shops. On Çıkrıkçılar Yokuşu (Hill), near the museum, you will find copper, bric-a-brac, carpets, and antiques for sale.
Ankara Nightlife and shopping
As you travel from Ulus to Kızılay, the town center, you will pass through Sıhhiye and see some fine examples of Republican architecture, as well as Gençlik Parkı (Youth Park), the Opera Building, Ankara University, the Hall of Justice and the Hatti Monument, which commemorates the Hattis who lived here before the Hittites. If you continue from Kızılay along Atatürk Boulevard, the Great National Assembly building will appear on your right, and then you will pass assorted embassy buildings and arrive at Kuğulu (Swan) Park. Take the first left here to find Tunalı Hilmi Caddesi, on the far side of the small park. This is one of the city’s most upscale shopping areas. If you’re interested in Turkish handicrafts, drop in on Çeşni on Tunalı Hilmi to see old Ottoman wedding dresses and dowry pieces that have been changed into exquisite decorative objects.
The Karum Shopping Center, between the Hilton and Sheraton Hotels, is a pleasant mall with lots of local and mall with lots of local and international brands. If you leave Karum and head towards Gaziosman pasha, you will reach Arjantin Caddesi, the capital’s most chi-chi restaurant district. Like Bilkent University and its environs, Arjantin Caddesi is one of the city’s main nightlife centers.
atakule
If you don’t turn off at Kuğulu Park, but instead climb the steep Cinnah Caddesi, you will come to the 125-meter-high Atakule, which offers a panoramic view of the city. Here you can spend time browsing the shops, or treat yourself to a great meal at the revolving restaurant. “Kule” (Tower) is in posh Çankaya, which also houses the Presidential Mansion.
Aside from the Armada and Karum Shopping Malls, one of the best malls in the city is Ankamall, beside the Akköprü metro station.
A Glimpse Into Turkish Pharmaceutical History
In the early 1900s when most medicines were still being produced by hand in laboratories, pharmacist Abdi Ibrahim Barut founded a firm for the manufacture of patent medicines. Called Abdi Ibrahim Müstahzarat-i Ispençiyariye, it was the fifth of its kind in Turkey, after Beþir Kemal, Ethem Pertev, Hasan Rauf and Kanzuk. Production commenced in 1919 with Strengthening Syrup, Excellent Laxative and Bromo-Valerin, and this family firm is today still run by Abdi Ibrahim’s grandson, Nezih Barut, himself a pharmacist and chairman of the board. In December last year the company established a museum at its modern factory.
Many inhabitants of Istanbul will recognise this museum the moment they see it as Halk Eczanesi, a pharmacy which served the people of Heybeliada island from 1903 onwards. The entire shop, including the shop front, clock, cash register and stock of medicines, has been reconstructed in the factory grounds at Hadimköy. Halk Eczanesi was first opened in 1903 by pharmacist Yusuf Süleyman Adali, and later taken over by the Prokoz family, who ran it for the next 40 years, before selling the business to the Gürçays. All the subsequent owners kept the original name over the years.
When Arslan Gürçay’s wife died, he sold the pharmacy, together with its accumulation of medicine packets, spirit lamps, mortars, bottles, autoclaves (sterilisers), tablet making equipment, huge syringes and photographs dating back as far as the 1940s, to the Abdi Ibrahim firm.
Aware of the historic interest of the shop and its contents, Nezih Barut decided to preserve it intact down to the smallest detail, with its door and window, sign, lamps bottles and other original fittings and contents. It was dismantled and transported to Hadimköy, where it was reconstructed as a fascinating glimpse into Turkish pharmaceutical history. The beautiful old bottles and original medicine boxes, many made by firms no longer in existence today, stand on the shelves, just as they did so many decades ago.
Toxic medicines are kept in the red-painted sections of the cabinets, which although dilapidated from long use, are still marvellous examples of rustic workmanship. Nezih Barut explains that the firm wishes to contribute to the preservation of Turkish pharmaceutical history for future generations, and hopes to extend the collection still further. To visit this fascinating pharmacy museum,