The Architecture of Early Republican Ankara
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Between 1923 and 1940 Ankara was a laboratory where Turkish and Central European architects built a new capital, and on this route you read that experiment step by step. Start at Şekip Akalın's station, pass the Opera by Balmumcu and Bonatz and Bruno Taut's faculty, climb Namazgah hill to Koyunoğlu's two buildings, see Mongeri's bank and Vedat Tek's parliament in Ulus and finish at Ankara Palas. About six kilometres, the architectural language of two eras and plenty of photographs.
Route Stops
Ankara Railway Station and Atatürk House Railway Museum.
Symmetrical stone front and tall hall; modernism of 1937. Look at the clock tower and the ceiling.
Ankara Opera Stage (State Opera and Ballet).
Walk ten minutes through Gençlik Park. See the exhibition hall turned opera house in morning light, when the facade is at its best.
Faculty of Languages, History, and Geography Building.
Walk fifteen minutes along the boulevard to Sıhhiye. Study Taut's long facade and its steps, with the Hittite Sun Disc waiting opposite.
Ankara Painting and Sculpture Museum: One of the Centers of Art in the Capital
Turn back and climb Namazgah; the First National style of the Turkish Hearths building, the marble staircase.
One of the most important art venues in Ankara, Ankara Painting and Sculpture Museum is a prestigious museum that houses the finest works of Turkish painting and sculpture art. This building, constructed in 1927 and opened as a museum in 1980, was established as part of the cultural policies of the Republic era to support Turkish art.
The museum building, designed by Architect Arif Hikmet Koyunoğlu, is an impressive structure that carries traces of Seljuk and Ottoman architecture. Located in Ulus, one of Ankara's historical districts, right next to the Ethnography Museum, the museum attracts art lovers with its artistic atmosphere and impressive collections.
The museum's collection includes works by important figures of Turkish painting such as Osman Hamdi Bey, İbrahim Çallı, Hikmet Onat, Şeker Ahmet Paşa, Hoca Ali Rıza, Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu, and Fikret Mualla. Additionally, works by leading representatives of sculpture art, Zühtü Müridoğlu, Hüseyin Gezer, and İlhan Koman are among the most notable pieces in the museum.
Inside the museum, there are temporary exhibition halls, art galleries, restoration workshops, and conference rooms, hosting various art events throughout the year. Furthermore, academic studies related to art history and workshop activities are also organized.
Ankara Painting and Sculpture Museum is an indispensable stop for art enthusiasts who want to explore the journey of Turkish art from the past to the present. It is a cultural treasure that everyone who wants to feel the spirit of art and see the most exquisite works of Turkish painting and sculpture art up close must visit.
Ethnography Museum.
Right next door; take in the dome, the arcade and Canonica's equestrian statue. From the terrace you can read both styles of Ulus at once.
Ziraat Bank Museum.
Down the boulevard to Ulus; Mongeri's Seljuk-Ottoman facade and the stained-glass hall, free to enter.
Republic Museum: A Historical Building Witnessing Turkey's Modernization Process
Vedat Tek's second parliament; look closely at the tiles and woodwork.
The Republic Museum, located in the Ulus district of Ankara, is one of the important buildings where the foundations of the Republic of Turkey were laid. The building, which was used as the Grand National Assembly of Turkey from 1924 to 1960, became a center where the most critical decisions of the Republic period were made.
The building was constructed in 1923 as Turkey's second TBMM building. Designed due to the inadequacy of the first assembly building, the structure is made of cut stone, notable for its Taşhan architecture, featuring a large hall and rooms that preserve the historical atmosphere. The Grand National Assembly of Turkey, which operated here from 1924 to 1960, witnessed significant developments such as the transition to a multi-party system, revolutions, and constitutional amendments.
Today, the building serves as a museum and houses many valuable artifacts reflecting the history of the Republic. The museum's collection includes Atatürk's personal belongings, documents belonging to the deputies of the period, the old assembly podium, meeting rooms, and documents of important decisions made after the proclamation of the Republic. In particular, the podium from which Atatürk read his Nutuk and the original documents related to the Treaty of Lausanne are among the most striking sections of the museum.
The Republic Museum not only offers its visitors a historical building but also holds great significance as a memory space that illuminates Turkey's modernization process and journey towards democratization. It is a must-visit museum for anyone who wants to witness the history of the Republic and closely observe the reforms shaped under Atatürk's leadership.
Ankara Palas Museum.
Opposite; finish the day in Kemaleddin's domed hall, and then you have earned a tea in Ulus.
