Ankara - The Turkish Capital

[_Pennywise_]

do you have a photo of the city during the winter?

[DU999]

Originally Posted by meaoh

I was an exchange student living in Ankara 15 years ago. I'm embarrassed to admit that I have forgotten many of the aspects of the city, but looking at this thread has helped me to recollect some of my experiences.

I must say, I wasn't very impressed overall with Ankara when I lived there. Some parts felt boring/stale, due to the predominance of government facilities. Other parts felt run down. The suburbs were just beginning to expand.

That said, these photos show how far the city has come in the last 15 years. It looks much more vibrant and exciting. Part of the problem for me was that I spent much of my year living well outside of the city, due to my host families. One of my friends lived in Cankaya and I think she was definitely in a better location.

Also it's nice to see that there's better public transportation in place currently. I used to either have to ride a bus or take a Dolmus everywhere I wanted to go. Blah.

Anyway, thank you all for posting these great photos. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

Cankaya was and is still the heart of the city it was always the home of night life, fashion etc. in Ankara. If you ask me Cankaya is the real Ankara. Of course the suburbs of Ankara developed during the last years but they can not compete with Cankaya.

Buses and dolmus like buses are still part of the "Ankarian" life. There are better transportation oppurtunities but it could have been done much more. Unfortunately, the city has a very bad mayor but for some unknown reason he is elected again and again.

[DU999]

Originally Posted by _Pennywise_

do you have a photo of the city during the winter?

Sorry I don't have but you can ask the guys in the turkish section of ssc.

[DU999]

More from Sögütözü

[DU999]

[DU999]

[DU999]

Originally Posted by SoroushPersepolisi

interesting

ive heard that alot, both from visitors to ankara and my turkish friends


the city seems a little lifeless, stale, it also seems to be tougher to live in in comparisson to western turkey, economicaly and socialy

it truely is a government city

It is a government city but also a city of students with 12 universities. Therefore it is not fair to say that Ankara is lifeless. You can't compare Ankara and Istanbul cuz Istanbul is another level. But believe me Ankara is definitely more colorful than some important european cities.

[christos-greece]

Great and very nice new photos from Ankara, DU999

[DU999]

thank you christos more pics comming soon

[DU999]

one of the countless shopping malls

[DU999]

This is Gordion mall one of the new malls. I have criticized this project constantly during its construction but now I think different. I like it a lot cuz firts of all people who spend time in this mall are typical turkish middel class families. Futhermore the mall is not too small but also not too large and the brands that are reprensted in this mall are nice.

[DU999]

Cankaya district

[christos-greece]

Originally Posted by DU999

thank you christos more pics comming soon

Weclome ...and the new ones are also very good

[Turknology]

image hosted on flickr

[DU999]

What do you want to tell us?

[DU999]

Atakule Tower (125m) and surrounding

[DU999]

View from Atakule

[openlyJane]

I love Turkey - the little bit I have seen of it on holiday - and the people - most of all!

But can I be honest?

Some of the expensive, upmarket shopping malls I have seen - in Bodrum, and Turgutreis, for example, seem a bit lifeless, and in some way at odds with the prevailing culture.

Having read, and loved, Orhan Pamuk's various books and novels - I feel very much this tension at the heart of Turkish society - between its 'eastern' identity and its 'western' ( consumerist) 'aspirations'. This seems, to me, to be an irreconcilable dilemma at the heart of Turkish national identity.

What do you think about this?

Are my impressions correct?

[DU999]

There is no dilemma about the Turkish national identity. Turkey has a unique geographical location in this world which naturally has an effect on the people. Therfore I don't agree with your term "eastern identity" because Turkey is not just eastern it is also western and had/has a european history, too. I personally feel more south western than eastern. This feeling comes from culture and not a stupid union or whatever. But of course you will also find Turks who may feel more eastern but again this is how Turkey is. Some feel european, some middel eastern, some feel close to the turkic nations others to the balkans. This is the diverity of turkish people and turkish culture you know Turkey is still a multi ethnical country and as I said it has a unique location on the world map. I have to say that this diversity is sometimes a little annoying but it is not a dilemma.

I am not a fan of Orhan Pamuk.

[DarkLite]

What a beautiful city! Looks very liveable, and I love how the orange tile roofs dominate the cityscape from above. The new towers look very interesting.