You enter the Anıt Kabir by the Lion Road, lined along its 262m length leading up to the vast plaza by 24 lion statues. Two squat towers mark the entrance – inside the right-hand tower is a scale model of the site and a booth selling audio guides.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Museum of Anatolian Civilisations
1.63 MILES
The best place in the country to get to grips with the complex weave of Turkey's history, the exhibits here house artefacts cherry-picked from just about…
0.22 MILES
The monumental mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938), the founder of modern Turkey, sits high above the city with its abundance of marble and air…
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Erimtan Archaeology & Arts Museum
1.7 MILES
Ankara's newest museum houses the astounding collection of mostly Roman (but also Bronze Age, Hittite and Byzantine) artefacts collected over the years by…
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1.86 MILES
The imposing hisar (citadel) is the most interesting part of Ankara to poke about in. This well-preserved quarter of thick walls and winding streets took…
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1.23 MILES
Housed inside the building (built 1927) that served as Atatürk's mausoleum until the Anıt Kabir was built, the Ethnography Museum has a small but well…
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1.17 MILES
The tradition of carpets being gifted to mosques has helped preserve many of Turkey's finest specimens. This extensive collection – which once graced the…
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1.76 MILES
Ankara's most revered mosque is Hacı Bayram Cami. Hacı Bayram Veli was a Muslim 'saint' who founded the Bayramiye dervish order around 1400. Ankara was…
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1.71 MILES
The surprisingly absorbing Rahmi M Koç Industrial Museum, located inside the beautifully restored Çengelhan caravanserai building, has three floors…
Nearby Ankara attractions
0.22 MILES
The monumental mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938), the founder of modern Turkey, sits high above the city with its abundance of marble and air…
0.23 MILES
The buildings on one side of the Anıt Kabir plaza (to the right of the tomb) contain an extensive museum dedicated to both the life of Atatürk and Turkey…
0.92 MILES
Located in an old train depot, this huge artists' park and gallery exhibits modern and challenging art from across Europe, plus there's an excellent cafe…
1.03 MILES
In the heart of the city, Gençlik Parkı has a lake and fountains (lit up after dark), colourful flower beds and plenty of space for kids to run about. It…
1.12 MILES
Kızılay's Confidence Monument, erected in 1935, is a good landmark to get your bearings by when first arriving in the district.
1.17 MILES
The tradition of carpets being gifted to mosques has helped preserve many of Turkey's finest specimens. This extensive collection – which once graced the…
1.2 MILES
Houses the Museum of Science & Technology and the Museum of the War of Independence, although both hold little interest for non-Turkish speakers.
1.23 MILES
Housed inside the building (built 1927) that served as Atatürk's mausoleum until the Anıt Kabir was built, the Ethnography Museum has a small but well…