Harikalar Diyarı

Harikalar Diyarı (Wonderland) is a city park in the Yunus Emre neighbourhood (the Fatih area) of Sincan, the district on the western edge of Ankara. Built by the Environmental Protection and Control Department of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, the park opened on 5 October 2004. Its total area is 1,320,000 square metres; on that measure its operator presents it as one of the largest city parks in Europe. Today the park is run by ANFA General Directorate, a company of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality. It takes its name from the giant statues of fairy-tale and cartoon characters lined up on its Fairy Tale Island (Masal Adası). The best-known part of the park is Fairy Tale Island, with figures such as Gulliver and the Lilliputians, Asterix, Lucky Luke, the Smurfs, Nasreddin Hoca, Keloğlan, the Tasmanian Devil and the mammoth from Ice Age. The statues are far larger than human scale; small Lilliputian figures wander around the feet of the Gulliver statue. For families with children this is the first stop in the park and the most popular spot for photographs. Around Fairy Tale Island there are small kiosks and seating areas. Most of the park consists of 650,000 square metres of green space threaded with walking paths. Artificial ponds covering 92,000 square metres create a wide water landscape at the centre of the park; pedal boats can be hired on them. The fountains of the lake and the wooden pier reaching over the water are the park's best-known image. The lawns along the shore are ringed by trees that turn red in autumn, and at sunset the apartment blocks of Sincan are reflected in the water. The picnic areas are equipped with shady arbours and pavilions; ANFA notes that the picnic sections have barbecue spots. A sightseeing train runs inside the park; because the grounds are so large, the train is the most practical way to get from the entrance to Fairy Tale Island and the ponds. Sports facilities are one of the park's strengths. Two tennis courts, two mini football pitches, two basketball courts and two grass pitches are open to anyone wanting to play. A 700-metre fitness trail is lined with outdoor exercise equipment. A go-kart track, a skateboard park, a model-boat racing pond and a model-car track are among the park's more unusual details. The section called Oyuncakistan (Toyland) has three large and nine small children's playgrounds. The cultural heart of the park is the 5,000-seat Nejat Uygur Amphitheatre, where concerts and open-air shows are held in summer. The park is not only a place of leisure; the Sincan Family Life Centre, a rehabilitation centre for people with disabilities and a women's club also lie within its boundaries. Wedding and ceremony halls operate inside the park. There are many cafes, restaurants and kiosks in the park, so it is possible to come without bringing food. Check ANFA's website for current information on opening hours and how the facilities operate. The Ministry of National Education lists the park as an out-of-school learning environment; school groups are asked to book in advance. The grounds are too large to cover in a single day; on one visit it is enough to pick the triangle of Fairy Tale Island, the pond shore and the amphitheatre. On hot summer days it is more comfortable to see Fairy Tale Island, which has little shade, early in the morning and to spend midday under the trees by the lake. Spring and autumn are the park's most pleasant seasons. The easiest way to get there is by metro. The Harikalar Diyarı station on line M3 of the Ankara Metro carries the park's name; the station opened on 12 February 2014. Line M3 runs between Batıkent and OSB-Törekent; visitors coming from Kızılay take the metro as far as Batıkent and change to M3. The station is at ground level with two side platforms; the park gate is a few minutes' walk away. There is a car park inside the grounds for those arriving by car. Its proximity to Göksu Park in Etimesgut makes it possible to combine Harikalar Diyarı with another large green space on the same day.