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Ulucanlar Prison (Ulucanlar Cezaevi) was one of the most notorious prisons in Turkey. It’s located in the heart of Ankara just a short walk east of Ankara Castle.
History of Ulucanlar Prison
Ulucanlar Prison was established in 1925, shortly after Ankara became the capital of the newly-formed Turkish Republic. It served as a maximum security prison, holding the most dangerous criminals as well as high-profile detainees, until its closure in 2006. Among the prisoners over the years were intellectuals, journalists, poets, writers, politicians, and political activists held for their opposing political views.
The prison was renovated and reopened as a museum on June 16, 2011. It includes original graffiti and murals on the walls, and all items exhibited are original.
Visiting Ulucanlar Prison
The Ulucanlar Prison Museum is open daily except Mondays from 10am to 4pm. Adult admission is 10₺ (as of August 2023), while the disabled and anyone over 65 is admitted free of charge. Audio guides are available in Turkish only. Visitors follow a fixed path guided with arrows.
The prison gives a good look into life in a Turkish prison with authentic artifacts, photos, and wax figures. Unfortunately, when we visited everything was in Turkish. It would be nice to have the labels and prisoner profiles translated into English. It took us about 45 minutes to walk through. The rest of the post follows the path we took during our visit.
Entrance to Ulucanlar Prison
After paying the admission, we walked down a dark, musty corridor to an outdoor path with high walls on either side. The path opens to a small courtyard.
Hilton (9th and 10th Ward)
The building at the other end of the courtyard is the 9th and 10th Ward, affectionately known by prisoners as the Hilton. The Hilton was much smaller and therefore less crowded than the other wards, which made it more comfortable for inmates housed there.
The rooms in the Hilton feature original bunk beds where famous political prisoners such as four-time Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit (1925-2006), political party leader Osman Bölükbaşı (1913-2002), and journalist Cüneyt Arcayürek (1928-2015). Their biographies are posted next to the beds.
Isolation Ward
Next, we walked past a guard’s office before entering the long corridor of the Isolation Ward. It was reserved for high-profile criminals and prisoners who had committed disciplinary offenses. The cells were small and had iron doors with no windows.
While walking down the corridor, the screams of prisoners being tortured and the yells of the prison guards play over the loudspeakers. It’s possible to peek into the cells to feel the agony of the prisoners. At the end of the corridor, we walked outside and back down the length of the Isolation Ward towards the Hilton.
4th Ward at Ulucanlar Prison
The door opposite the Hilton leads to the courtyard of the 4th Ward, where there’s a small mosque to the right of the entrance.
Inside the 4th Ward to the left is a toilet and a kitchen where inmates would prepare meals. The experience is enhanced by two wax figures of inmates sitting a table.
The dormitory of the 4th Ward contained two long rows of rusted bunk beds. At the far end of the room, wax figures helped us imagine how prisoners would spend their days. Having tea, playing music, or sitting on their beds and reading.
Looking up to the ceiling, we noticed two grated windows where guards could look down into the room and keep an eye on the inmates.
5th Ward at Ulucanlar Prison
A door from the courtyard of the 4th Ward leads to the courtyard of the 5th Ward. On the wall, we saw a picture of Turkish poet Nazım Hikmet (1902-1963), who was imprisoned at Ulucanlar in 1938 for his political views.
Inside the dormitory, it’s the same setup as in the 4th Ward but without the wax figures. There are the same long rows of bunk beds with a table and some lockers.
Biographies of famous prisoners are attached the beds, and we were able to admire some of the original murals on the walls. They were painted by prisoners and preserved during the restoration of the Ulucanlar Prison.
Attached to the dorm is another bathroom and kitchen, but the marble slabs are bare and don’t display any utensils.
Film Room
A door from the 5th Ward exits to a long outdoor corridor that leads to the prison’s film room. Inside, an old Turkish movie is projected onto a screen. A sign on the wall indicates it as the Education and Culture Room, and several old wooden chairs were arranged in rows.
6th Ward at Ulucanlar Prison
Next is the courtyard of the 6th Ward. Inside the dormitory, there’s one row of bunk beds with more prisoner biographies.
Across from the beds are displays exhibiting the personal belongings of many notable inmates who spent time at Ulucanlar Prison. They include items such as cigarettes, lighters, eyeglasses, teapots, and IDs. Visitors can also see the film projector and a piano used at the prison.
Dungeon
Next, we walked down a dark corridor with four disciplinary cells. They each have small doors with the cells a bit under the ground level.
The small concrete cells have no beds or other amenities, and the word dungeon (zindan) written on the plaque above each door is a fitting description. It’s clear that the worst criminals spent time in these cells, and it’s possible to peek inside to see wax figures of prisoners.
Barber
At the end of the dungeon, an arrow pointed us to an open area with a desk and two chairs. This was the barber at Ulucanlar Prison. A set of clippers, a spray bottle, a towel, and two bowls sat on the desk.
1st Ward at Ulucanlar Prison
From there, the signs took us down another corridor to the right of the dungeon. It leads to the 1st Ward where only the courtyard was open. It contains a few trees and shrubs as well as a faded mural.
2nd Ward at Ulucanlar Prison
A door in the 1st Ward courtyard leads to the 2nd Ward courtyard of Ulucanlar Prison. It contains an octagonal fountain with a series of murals on the wall behind it. This is easily the most pleasant courtyard in the prison.
Just inside the entrance to the dormitory, there’s another mural and a small room with a wax figure preparing tea. Photos of inmates hang on the wall above a bench behind the wax figure.
To the left of the entrance is a small kitchen with towels hanging on the wall. Burners and cooking utensils sit on the counters.
In the first half of the dormitory are glass cases displaying the belongings of several famous inmates including Kurdish poet Ahmed Arif (1927-1991); right-wing nationalist-islamist politician Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu (1954-2009); nationalist Ali Bülent Orkan (1962-1982); poet Ahmet Tevfik Ozan; politician Kasım Gülek (1905-1996); and several others.
Other displays feature typewriters, shackles, telephones, and other items used in the prison as well as newspaper clippings, homemade weapons, and Qurans read by prisoners.
In the back half of the dormitory are bunk beds with photos on the wall behind them. Wax figures of prisoners complete the scene. One is reading a Quran on his bed while another is performing prayers on a small rug.
Main Yard
We walked back through the 1st Ward to the open area with the barber and continued to the main yard. This is where several functional buildings stand. To the left of the main building, which functioned as an infirmary, is a cafeteria and library. The library contains books about Ulucanlar Prison as well as books written by prisoners. A prison vehicle sits to the west of the cafeteria and library.
On the east side of the yard is a small building with a laundry room containing original equipment. In the back of the building is a hamam.
On the west side of the main yard is the visiting room. There are two rows of booth where inmates could speak to their visitors.
Finally, just before the exit is the original gallows and hangman’s noose where 19 prisoners were hanged between 1926 and 1982. The names and execution dates of these prisoners are listed on a plaque on the wall. The death penalty was abolished by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on July 14, 2004.
