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Ulus and the Citadel from Rome to the Ottomans
Cultural8 Stop

Ulus and the Citadel from Rome to the Ottomans

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You can fit two thousand years of Ankara into a walk of roughly three kilometres, and without exhausting yourself. Begin with the heating pillars of the Roman Baths, pass Julian's Column and the Temple of Augustus, stop for tea in Suluhan, meet the Hittites at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, then climb the citadel and see the whole route from above. The antique dealers of Samanpazarı wait on the way down; guard your wallet, they are persuasive.

Altındağ, Ankara
Cultural
8 Stop
~7 h 55 min at places
Walking ~2.6 km · 43 min
Total ~8 h 38 min
September 3, 2026

Route Stops

1
Roma Hamamı Açık Hava Müzesi

Roman Bath Open-Air Museum.

~1 h 15 min here
Çankırı Caddesi, Ulus, Altındağ

Come at opening, 08:30; look closely at the hypocaust bricks while it is still cool, there is no shade later.

Few people know that a 65,000 square metre Roman site sits right in the middle of Ulus, beside Çankırı Street. Built under Emperor Caracalla between 212 and 217 in honour of the healing god Asclepius, the baths let you read the hot, warm and cold rooms from the brick heating pillars beneath the floors; the hypocaust survives remarkably well. In the garden, inscribed tombstones and capitals gathered from across the city stand in rows. No crowds, no hurry, just a calm walk in the open air.
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2
Julianus Sütunu

Julian's Column.

~40 min here
Hükümet Meydanı, Ulus, Altındağ

Five minutes along Çankırı Street; look for the stork nest and circle the square.

Do not be surprised to find a 15-metre column in the middle of Hükümet Square; it is Roman. Tradition links it to Emperor Julian's visit to Ankara in 362. With its horizontally fluted shaft and leaf-carved capital it is the easiest ancient piece to spot in Ulus, and there is usually a stork nest on top, with the residents at home in spring. A pleasant five-minute stop on the walk between Hacı Bayram and the Roman Baths.
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3
Hacı Bayram-ı Veli Camii ve Türbesi

Hacı Bayram Veli Mosque and Tomb.

~30 min here
Hacı Bayram Mahallesi, Ulus, Altındağ

Climb the slope to the square; mosque and tomb, with the smell of roasted chickpeas all around.

This square on the hill above Ulus is where Ankara's heart beats. The mosque built in 1427–28 and the tomb of Hacı Bayram-ı Veli, founder of the Bayrami order, form the city's most visited religious site. The building leans against the wall of the Temple of Augustus; two sacred places two thousand years apart share one courtyard, and you do not need to be an architect to feel it. The square overflows at weekends and on holy nights, and the surrounding shops sell roasted chickpeas, prayer beads and devotional books.
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4
Augustus ve Roma Tapınağı (Monumentum Ancyranum)

Augustus and the Roman Temple (Monumentum Ancyranum).

~1 h 15 min here
Hacı Bayram Meydanı, Ulus, Altındağ

Try reading the Greek on the side wall; the Latin is at the entrance, and the letters stand out in morning light.

The walls right beside the Hacı Bayram Mosque carry one of the most famous Latin inscriptions in the world. Built between 25 and 20 BCE when Galatia became a Roman province, the temple holds the most complete surviving copy of Emperor Augustus's political testament, written in his own words; Latin on the entrance wall, the Greek translation on the outer side wall. Because the mosque was built against the temple, you see both from a single courtyard, one of the strangest and loveliest frames in Ankara.
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5
Suluhan Çarşısı

Suluhan Bazaar.

~30 min here
Tenekeciler Sokak, Ulus, Altındağ

Cross Anafartalar Street into the han; tea and a half-hour break, your feet will thank you.

Step a few paces off the bustle of Anafartalar Street and you find yourself in the twin-courtyard stone han that Hasan Paşa built in 1508–1511. It has traded without a break for five hundred years and takes its name from being the only han of its day with running water and heating. Today the courtyards hold jewellers, florists, wedding-favour shops and handmade gifts. A perfect pause in the middle of an Ulus walk.
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6
Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi

Anatolian Civilizations Museum - The Door to History

~1 h 30 min here
Kale, Gözcü Sk. No:2, 06240 Ulus/Altındağ/Ankara, Türkiye

Up Gözcü Street; two hours, from Çatalhöyük to Rome. Do not rush the Hittite hall.

The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, located at the foot of Ankara Castle, sheds light on the rich history of Anatolia, spanning from the Paleolithic Period to the Roman Period. The museum showcases unique artifacts from the Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian, and Lydian civilizations, with particular emphasis on the Hittite Sun Disk and the findings from Alacahöyük. Additionally, the museum houses countless historical artifacts such as ceramics, tablets, sculptures, and ancient jewelry. This venue, a major attraction for archaeology enthusiasts and history buffs, is also listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.


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7
Ankara Kalesi (Hisar)

Ankara Castle (Hisar).

~1 h here
Kale Mahallesi, Kağnı Sokak, Samanpazarı, Altındağ

Through the gate into the inner citadel; try to trace the route you walked this morning from the bastions.

If you want to understand Ankara, start here. The citadel is the oldest core of the city; the hill has been settled since the Galatians, and most of the walls you see today are Byzantine. Inside, narrow lanes hold restored Ankara houses, a few antique dealers and small cafes. Climb the bastions and all of Ulus lies below you, with Anıtkabir visible in the distance. The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and the Erimtan Museum share the same slope, so it makes sense to begin any history walk right here.
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8
Pirinç Han ve Samanpazarı Antikacıları

Antique Shops in Pirinç Han and Samanpazarı.

~1 h 15 min here
Koyunpazarı Yokuşu, Samanpazarı, Altındağ

Down the slope past the antique shops; bus from Samanpazarı back to Kızılay, possibly with a copper tray under your arm.

The lane that drops from the citadel gate to Samanpazarı is Ankara's antiques and crafts bazaar, and Pirinç Han is one of its courtyard hans. Copper trays, kilims, old records, gramophones and windows overflowing with trinkets swallow an hour or two without you noticing. Bargaining is not rude here, it is expected. Shopkeepers like telling the story behind each object, and if you ask, tea usually follows.
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Route Map

Route Info
CityAltındağ, Ankara
TypeCultural
Stop8
DateSeptember 3, 2026
Radar TürkiyeAuthorRadar TürkiyeStart Route