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Ankara Castle (Ankara Kalesi) is a fortification on the highest part of the old city of Ankara, Turkey. Also called Hisar, or the Citadel, it features a neighborhood full of traditional Ottoman homes.
History of Ankara Castle
Ankara Castle was first fortified by the Phrygians in the 8th century BC. The Galatians settled there and rebuilt it in 278 BC. The castle has been repaired and expanded many times throughout history by its conquerors. The Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, Crusaders, and Ottomans all made their marks, although the walls seen today date mostly to Byzantine and Seljuk periods. In 1832, Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt was the last person to repair and expand the castle.
The castle, which has an area of approximately 43,000 square meters, is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside. Many local families still live inside its walls and there are many quiet streets and alleyways to explore.
Finger Gate
The main entrance to Ankara Castle is the Finger Gate (Parmak Kapısı). It contains a tall clock tower on the left bastion and faces a plaza.
Directly across from the gate is the Ankara branch of the Rahmi M. Koç Museum. A large anchor sits in front of the museum, which pays homage to the original name of the city, Ancyra (Ἄγκυρα).
Just inside the Finger Gate is a small square with a fountain in the center. It’s surrounded by restored Ottoman homes.
If you follow the road directly past the square, there are more restored homes. Many have been converted to souvenir shops, cafés, or boutique hotels.
At the end of the road is a tall defensive tower. If you look closely, you can see recycled fragments of ancient buildings used to patch the walls. They were taken from ancient Roman buildings in the 8th and 9th centuries. The Roman buildings were in ruins at the time.
Double Gate
Turning left after the tower is a low gate. Passing through the gate is a narrow section between the walls with an Ottoman building and a café in the center.
The road immediately shifts to the right just in front of the café, leading through another narrow gate. That gate contains pieces of ancient buildings held up by metal beams. What’s even more interesting is that the road is open to traffic, and watching tiny cars just barely able to pass through the gates can be both entertaining and impressive.
Sultan Alaeddin Mosque
On the other side of the double gate is the Sultan Alaeddin Mosque (Sultan Alaeddin Camii). It was completed in 1197 and is the oldest mosque in Ankara.
The mosque was probably built by Muhyiddin Mesud Şah, the son of Seljuk Sultan Kılıç Arslan II, and contains pieces of old Roman and Byzantine buildings. It was under restoration when we walked by, so we weren’t able to visit.
East Tower of Ankara Castle
From there, a path up the hill directly in front of the mosque leads to the East Tower (Şark Kulesi). On your way up to the gate to the tower, pay special attention to the walls. You may notice pieces of ancient Roman buildings used as patches. These were taken from ruined buildings in the 8th and 9th centuries to make repairs.
After passing through the gate, you enter an oval-shaped courtyard surrounded by walls. It feels a bit like you’re standing in an old arena. A set of stairs leads to the upper rings.
From there, you can wander along the walls to explore the rest of the East Tower. Be careful because there are no guard rails and it’s a steep drop from some of the walls.
There are stairs to different levels of the tower, but to get to the top of smaller towers, you have to walk along narrow paths atop the walls. It’s worth it for the views!
Views from the East Tower
The East Tower has incredible 360° views of Ankara. It’s possible to spot many important landmarks in the city. Looking to the southwest, in the foreground are all of the rooftops of old Ottoman homes within the Ankara Castle neighborhood. In the background far in the distance is Anıtkabir.
To the west, you can see the pools and green areas of Gençlik Park as well as the dome and minarets of the Melike Hatun Mosque.
To the northwest is Ulus and Hacıbayram. It’s easy to spot the Hacı Bayram Mosque and Temple of Augustus. Looking north is the White Fort, and to the east you can see the notorious Ulucanlar Prison, which is now a popular museum.
Authentic Neighborhood in Ankara Castle
The road just past the mosque leads to the rest of the Ankara Castle neighborhood, which is much more authentic than just inside the Finger Gate.
This part of the neighborhood features the homes of locals whose families have been living there for centuries. It hasn’t been gentrified, thankfully, and doesn’t contain any restaurants, hotels, or cafés. It’s simply a quiet working class neighborhood with a handful of streets and alleyways to explore.
White Fort at Ankara Castle
All the way at the north end of Ankara Castle is the White Fort (Ak Kale), which has four levels and two gates. An inscription indicates it was built by the Seljuks. The White Fort is off limits to the public and is best seen from down below.
An open area just underneath the White Fort provides some good views down to Ulus and Hacıbayram.
