Hamamönü

Hamamönü takes its name from the Karaca Bey Bath, commissioned by Karaca Bey, the Beylerbeyi (Governor-General) of Anatolia, in the 15th century. Today, the district is recognized as a living cultural and historical quarter of Ankara, preserving a dense concentration of Ottoman-era heritage. Within Hamamönü—now commonly referred to as Hamamönü—the bath commissioned by Karaca Bey remains one of the defining structures, surrounded by numerous historical mosques, small prayer houses (mescit), lodges (dergâh), tombs (türbe), madrasas, fountains, burial grounds (hazire), and traditional mansions. As part of major conservation and urban renewal projects, the historical fabric of the neighborhood has been carefully preserved, and its traditional Ankara houses have been reintegrated into the city with new cultural functions. Today, these restored structures serve as tea and coffee houses, restaurants, patisseries, museums, art centers, cultural houses, and shops for tourism and handicraft souvenirs. The Karaca Bey Mosque and its surroundings form the heart of the quarter, framed by notable examples of traditional Ankara civil architecture. Distinguished historical mansions that remain standing and attract visitors include the Kamil Paşa Mansion, Beynamlızade Mansion and Kabakçı Mansion, one of which is popularly known today as Kabakçı Konağı. Another architectural landmark that shapes the silhouette of the area is the Hamamönü Clock Tower, an iconic symbol of the district’s cultural identity. Hamamönü is now one of Ankara’s most important culture and tourism destinations, where the city’s historic character meets daily life, offering both locals and visitors an authentic urban heritage experience

Seğmenler Park

Seğmenler Park is known as the place where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his companions were greeted by the seğmens of Ankara when he came to the town on 27 December 1919. In the park area, which was constructed in 1983, there are pools, a playground, and an amphitheatre where concerts are performed from time to time.

Hacettepe Mosque

The mosque, located in Sarıkadın Street, Hacettepe Sümer district, is a plain building with adobe walls, wooden beams, a stone basement and a tile roof. It has a wooden minaret in the northeast side. The women’s hall and the ceiling have been renovated in the last centuries, and today it is oil painted. Hacettepe Mosque is striking for its mihrab dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries.

Biodiversity Museum (Biosphere Museum)

The Biosphere Museum was established under the leadership of the Department of Biology at Hacettepe University to promote Türkiye’s rich biological diversity and raise awareness of its conservation. The museum, housed in a specially designed structure of approximately 6,500 m² and featuring extensive collections in geology, biology, and anthropology, offers visitors the opportunity to explore nature through interactive exhibitions, digital applications, and scientific workshops. Reflecting Türkiye’s biogeographical and genetic richness, the Biosphere Museum serves as a pioneering center for natural history museology.

Şeyh İzzeddin Masjıd and Tomb

The masjid does not have an inscription, but it is assumed to be built in the 14th century considering its architecture. The longitudinal rectangular planned masjid in Hacıbayram Quarter is a building with adobe walls on a stone foundation, a wooden beam ceiling, and tiled roof. The building’s small but wooden beamed ceiling that forms the upper cover bears the characteristics of the late Seljuk and early Ottoman mosques in Ankara. The narthex in the north, which is closed on two sides and open in the front, was added to the mosque during the restoration in 2009. Plaster mihrab made in molding technique bears the characteristics of 17-18th century. It has a small and wooden minaret. The tomb is in the north of the mosque, and the inscription belonging to the tomb is in Ankara Museum of Ethnography. The date of construction is 1306 according to the inscription of the masjid. The site went through a major renovation in 2009. The original tomb had been demolished in the 1930s, and later a concrete tomb and additional buildings were built on the foundations of the tomb.

Kalecik Tabakhane Mosque

It is understood from the inscriptions inside the mosque that it was built between 1905 and 1907. Built on a sloping land, the mosque has a square plan, a hipped roof, and a wooden ceiling; the body walls are built of smooth cut stone. Except for the small rectangular window on the mihrab, all the windows are arched, and the upper ones are small, the lower ones are large. The mosque was repaired in 2006.

Çubuk 1 Dam

Being the first dam of the Republic Era, it was opened in 1936 by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. It is a dam built on Çubuk Stream for the purpose of supplying drinking, utility and industry water and preventing floods. Atatürk Mansion, music hall and picnic areas have been built around the dam. Nowadays it is used as a relaxation and recreational area with its beautiful view. The dam was designed as a recreational area by Ankara Metropolitan Municipality in 2020 and parks, sports areas, walking and bicycle lanes, an observation terrace, cafes, and playgraounds were built. The dam was opened with its new design on 29 October 2020. In this area where Atatürk Mansion was restored there are also picnic gazebos and barbecues. The dam and its surrounding area is suitable for nature walks and photosafari.

50th Year Park

Situated at Cebeci neighbourhood and known as Ankara’s observation terrace, 50th Year Park has an area of 135.000 square metres. The park was opened in 1970 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Republic and was renovated by Ankara Metropolitan Municipality in 2009. There are ponds, playgrounds, gazebos, non-barbecue picnic areas, an ice-skating ring, cafes, arbours, and a big carpark. Turkey’s tallest flagpole with a height of 120 metres is also here.

Ahi Elvan Mosque

The mosque, located in Koyunpazarı district, was first built on a sloping land at the end of the 14th century by Hacı Mecdüddin İsa b. Mehmed Bey, father of Ahi Elvan, and was repaired by Ahi Elvan in 1413. The wooden ceiling of the mosque, which has a rectangular plan, roof and a minaret, is supported by 12 wooden columns arranged in three rows. Marble capitals are from the Roman period. There is an inscription on the masterwork wooden pulpit made of walnut wood in the mosque, and this pulpit was made by the carpenter, Mehmed b. Beyazıd from Harput.

Roman Baths Open-Air Museum

The Roman Baths stand along Çankırı Street, which stretches from Ulus Square to Yıldırım Beyazıt Square. Today, the area is preserved as one of Ankara’s most significant Roman-period archaeological sites, accessible to visitors as both an open-air museum and a heritage ruins zone. The complex consists of two main structural components: the gymnasium (palaestra) and the bathing complex. The gymnasium is a monumental, nearly square-planned courtyard, framed on all four sides by columned porticoes (revak / colonnaded galleries). The cold room (frigidarium), warm room (tepidarium), and hot room (caldarium) are attached to the gymnasium as a unified architectural mass, reflecting a holistic spatial design. The complex was conceived as an imperial-era public monument, incorporating courtyards, a furnace area (külhan), hypocaust heating systems, water reservoirs, and service and workshop sections. The primary remains visible today include the lower hypocaust levels and service infrastructure. Archaeological finds recovered through excavations—such as coins, inscriptions, relief fragments, and Corinthian capitals—indicate that the complex was built during the reign of Emperor Caracalla (AD 211–217). The baths were later repaired and continued to be in use during the Byzantine period, as confirmed by archaeological evidence. Since 2020, conservation and partial restoration work has improved structural safety and the overall visitor experience, enhancing the site’s legibility and accessibility. The gymnasium section of the Roman Baths continues to display a rich outdoor collection of inscriptions gathered from Roman-era Ancyra (ancient Ankara), making it one of the most important epigraphic open-air exhibits in the city. The site lies within the historical heart of Ulus and remains a key node along Ankara’s cultural pedestrian routes.

Museums of Republic

The building was designed and constructed in 1923 by architect Vedat Tek as the meeting hall for the Republican People’s Party. However, when the First Turkish Grand National Assembly building proved insufficient to meet the growing needs, the function of this building was changed and it was repurposed as the new assembly hall. On October 18, 1924, it officially began serving as the Second Turkish Grand National Assembly building. The museum features rooms displaying personal belongings of Türkiye’s first three Presidents -Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Mustafa İsmet İnönü, and Mahmut Celal Bayarwho collectively served for a period of 36 years. Reflecting the architectural characteristics of its era, the building showcases Seljuk and Ottoman ornamental motifs in its wooden ceiling decorations, arches, eaves, and tiles. Following extensive restoration and renovation, the front section of the building was reorganized and opened to the public as a museum on October 30, 1981.

Ağaçayak Mosque

Located on Ulucanlar Street, the mosque is housed in a large courtyard. It is made of rubble stone up to the basement part, and in the above the mudbrick walls are strengthened with timber. It is estimated to have been built in 1705. It is a late Ottoman period building that is remarkable for its wooden painted pulpit and mihrab.