Muhammed Ali Esertepe Parkı

Muhammed Ali Esertepe Park is a large city park laid out on valley-shaped land between the Esertepe and Etlik neighbourhoods of Keçiören. It covers about eighteen hectares and opens a broad green gap in the middle of the dense housing of northern Ankara. The park's elevation ranges from 985 to 1,055 metres, which makes it one of the highest points in Ankara. It is ringed by the closely built apartment blocks of Etlik, so for local residents the park serves both as a garden and as a viewpoint. The site's history goes back to military use. According to Wikipedia, the area was used by the army as an open air firing range in the early years of the Republic. As the city grew, the surroundings filled with housing, and in 1970 this use was ended for safety reasons. Left empty for many years, the land passed to the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality in 2013. The municipality's 2012 announcement explains that the area was purchased from TOKİ and would be turned into a recreation area similar to the Dikmen Valley. The same announcement describes the area as a shared breathing space for the Esertepe, Etlik and Yayla neighbourhoods. The project foresaw walking paths, gazebos, fitness areas and playgrounds for children. The park opened to the public on 19 May 2015. The park's name changed on 9 June 2016 by a unanimous decision of the Ankara Metropolitan Municipal Council. The name of the American boxer Muhammad Ali, who had died in those days, was given to the park, and the area took its present name. Locally it is still also called Esertepe Park or the Esertepe Valley. The park can be entered from four different points, and each entrance greets you with a square. According to the municipality's description, these squares were laid out with monumental gates named after the Ottoman State, the Seljuk State, the Hun State and the Republic of Turkey. Inside the park there is also a map of Turkey planted with various groups of plants and lit with LED borders. A wide pool area stretches along the floor of the valley, while rows of gazebos line the slopes. The valley-shaped land means that the park descends in steep terraces. To ease this difference in level, escalators and three diagonal lifts were built in the area. According to the local press, these escalators and lifts can be out of service for long periods at times. So be ready for dozens of steps when climbing to the gazebos on the upper levels, and if you are coming with a pushchair or a wheelchair, choose your entrance accordingly. The same report also mentions that a renovation was carried out around the pool in 2026. A good way to explore the park is to start from one of the upper entrances and walk down into the valley. From the walking paths on the upper level, the northern slopes of Ankara and the apartment fabric of Keçiören appear as a broad panorama. After strolling around the pool, you can climb to the gazebos on the opposite slope and watch the view again from the other side. The area also has children's playgrounds and resting places. The best times for the view are the morning and the hours close to sunset; at midday there is little shade on the slopes. When the weather warms up, and especially at weekends, the valley fills with people picnicking and walking. As it is a high and exposed area, you need to dress warmly in the winter months. The park lies far from the metro; the nearest station on the M4 line is several kilometres away. It is therefore more practical to come by municipal bus from the Keçiören or Etlik direction, and you should check current routes in EGO's journey planner. The Atatürk Republic Tower stands about three kilometres east of the park, and the two stops are easily combined on the same day.