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Ankara? Any DIY experience?

Posted by (Chicago) on

I'm in the planning stage of a visit to Turkey for June 2026. It will be DIY - Istanbul, Capadoocia (stay Goreme), Ephesus (probably stay Selcuk). We will fly between cities. No car rental.

I would love to include Ankara, specifically to see the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. Looking at transit, I can't quite justify the time involved in transport to spend half a day at the museum. If it was me alone, yes, but my companion's time is more limited.

1) I apologize for the vague question, but I wonder if anyone has included Ankara in a Turkey visit and has suggestions for efficient transit within my scope above. I hesitate to use Pegasus or AJet or SunExpress as flights are limited - flight doesn't go - you are stuck. (Been there, done that.) So, I'm only seriously looking at Turkish Air. (which makes the loop above impossible without Istanbul as a stop-over, but that's another frustration that I can manage,)

2) For those who have visited the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations - can you assure me that it is either a must-see OR a nice addition, but not necessary. Reference - big fan of British Museum, Berlin's Pergamon Museum, Chicago's Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures Museum (formerly Oriental Institute Museum).

3) If you "know" Ankara - have I missed identifying other "must see" sites that ancient history/archeology fans would enjoy? (I am aware of Hattuşa, but thought that might be a long-ish day trip.... Correct me if I'm wrong.)

Thank you for any opinions, advice, experience.

Posted by
896 posts

I am not much help here, but I will share what I know.

1) Ankara is the main hub for Pegasus, and so you should some good options if a flight is cancelled or delayed. I took Pegasus once, the only time I have ever flown on a budget airline. It wasn't my favorite, but it got me where I needed to go.

2) I have visited the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. It's not a huge museum, but it was an eye opener. I knew almost nothing about Hittite history or culture before I went, and it opened up a whole new world for me. If you want to see Hittite artifacts and sculpture (along with King Midas' chair), the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations is the place to do it. The museum is well curated and very informative. Some of the artifacts are spectacular. I would definitely go again if the opportunity arose.

3) I don't "know" Ankara. It's a government town, and I got the impression that most of the people there either worked for the government or had business with the government. It kind of reminded me of an Art Deco version of Washington DC, except that there aren't any huge monuments like the Lincoln Memorial ...... except for the Ataturk Mausoleum, which I did not visit.

I have not been to Hattusa, but I thought very seriously about going there a couple of years ago. It's a 2.5+ hour drive each way out of Ankara, which is a bit more than I am willing to do for a day trip. My other impression, which may be wrong, is that Hattusa is a large site -- too large to cover comfortably on foot -- which means that you need a car or a tour. In the end, I figured that it would require a car rental and three nights at my preferred leisurely pace to visit Hattusa the way I wanted. I opted instead to do an Aphrodisias/Pamukkale/Sagalassos loop in western Turkey.

Posted by
1830 posts

Thanks, Marie! I will check Pegasus schedules again. I may have missed something.

Sigh, the Museum sounds fascinating! Wish it was more accessible for this trip. If not this time. maybe I can fit it in on another trip to the broader region. I appreciate your review!

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