Ankara (Turkish pronunciation: [ ˈ an.ka. ɾ a]; historically known as Angora is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of 938 metres (3,077 ft and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million

n Centrally located in Anatolia, Ankara is an important commercial and industrial city. It is the center of the Turkish Government, and houses all foreign embassies. It is an important crossroads of trade, strategically located at the centre of Turkey's highway and railway networks, and serves as the marketing centre for the surrounding agricultural area. The city was famous for its long- haired Angora goat and its prized wool (mohair), a unique breed of cat (Angora cat), Angora rabbits and their prized wool (Angora wool), pears, honey, and the region's muscat grapes. n The historical center of Ankara is situated upon a rocky hill, which rises 150 m (492 ft) above the plain on the left bank of the Ankara Çayı, a tributary of the Sakarya (Sangarius) river. The city is located at 39°52'30" North, 32°52' East (WikiMiniAtlas n 39°52′30″N 32°50′00″E / °N °E / ; Coordinates: 39°52′30″N 32°50′00″E / °N °E / ; ), about 450 km (280 mi) to the southeast of Istanbul, the country's largest city. Although situated in one of the driest places of Turkey and surrounded mostly by steppe vegetation except for the forested areas on the southern periphery, Ankara can be considered a green city in terms of green areas per inhabitant, which is 72 m 2 per head. [3] n Ankara is a very old city with various Hittite, Phrygian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman archaeological sites. The hill which overlooks the city is crowned by the ruins of the old castle, which adds to the picturesqueness of the view, but only a few historic structures surrounding the old citadel have survived to the present day. There are, however, many finely preserved remains of Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine architecture, the most remarkable being the Temple of Augustus and Rome (20 BC) which is also known as the Monumentum Ancyranum.

Museums Anıtkabir, Atatürk's mausoleum. Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (1921). The Türkocağı Building (1927), which houses the Operet Sahnesi and the State Art and Sculpture Museum. Anıtkabir is located on an imposing hill, Anıttepe quarter of the city, where the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Turkey, stands. Completed in 1953, it is an impressive fusion of ancient and modern architectural styles. An adjacent museum houses a wax statue of Atatürk, his writings, letters and personal items, as well as an exhibition of photographs recording important moments in his life and during the establishment of the Republic. Anıtkabir is open every day, while the adjacent museum is open every day except Mondays. Ankara Ethnography Museum (Etnoğrafya Müzesi) This museum is opposite the Opera House on Talat Paşa Boulevard, in the Ulus district. There is a fine collection of folkloric items, as well as artifacts from the Seljuk and Ottoman periods. Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi) Situated at the entrance of Ankara Castle, it is an old bedesten (covered bazaar) that has been beautifully restored and now houses a unique collection of Paleolithic, Neolithic, Hatti, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian, and Roman works as well as a major section dedicated to Lydian treasures. State Art and Sculpture Museum (Resim- Heykel Müzesi) This museum is close to the Ethnography Museum and houses a rich collection of Turkish art from the late 19th century to the present day. There are also galleries which host guest exhibitions. Cer Modern [19] Cer Modern is the modern-arts museum of Ankara, inaugurated on 1 April It is situated in the renovated building of the historic TCDD Cer Atölyeleri, the workshop of the Turkish National Railways. The museum incorporates the largest exhibition hall in Turkey. The museum holds periodic exhibitions of modern and contemporary art as well as hosting other contemporary arts events. War of Independence Museum (Kurtuluş Savaşı Müzesi) This building, located on Ulus Square, was originally the first Parliament building (TBMM) of the Republic of Turkey. The War of Independence was planned and directed here as recorded in various photographs and items presently on exhibition. In another display, wax figures of former presidents of the Republic of Turkey are on exhibit. TCDD Open Air Steam Locomotive Museum - An open-air museum which traces the history of steam locomotives. Çengelhan Rahmi Koç Museum is a museum of industrial technology situated in Çengelhan, an Ottoman Era caravanserai. The exhibits include industrial/technological artifacts from 1850s onwards.Ankara Aviation Museum (Hava Kuvvetleri Müzesi Komutanlığı) The museum is near the Istanbul Road in Etimesgut. It is home to various missiles, avionics, aviation materials and aircraft that have served in the Turkish Air Force (e.g. combat aircraft such as the F-86 Sabre, F-100 Super Sabre, F-102 Delta Dagger, F-104 Starfighter, F-5 Freedom Fighter, F-4 Phantom; and cargo planes such as the Transall C-160.) Also, a Hungarian MiG-21, a Pakistani MiG-19, and a Bulgarian MiG-17 are on display in the museum. METU Science and Technology Museum (ODTÜ Bilim ve Teknoloji Müzesi) is based in the Middle East Technical University campus.