Anatolia, the Land Layered with Time, Part 1 — To the Heart of Anatolia, from Ankara to Çorum
From Ankara through Çorum and Cappadocia to Kayseri, a look at Turkish history and ancient civilizations encountered on the Anatolian plateau.
Words & Photos Ko Hyeon
In collaboration with Turkish Airlines
Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, GoTürkiye
Ankara
The Man Gazing at Ankara
Upon arriving in Ankara, one portrait stands out above all others. On the walls of government buildings, on billboards at bus stops, inside shabby little shops, the same resolute-faced man, differing only in age, quietly watches over the city. He is Mustafa Kemal, revered as ‘Atatürk’ (meaning ‘Father of the Turks’). He was the national hero who, after the Ottoman defeat in World War I, when the empire was ceding territory to the European powers, overthrew its outdated order and was elected the first president of the Republic of Türkiye in 1923. It was also he who made the bold decision to move the capital from Istanbul to Ankara.
Ankara became the capital not simply because of its geopolitical position in the middle of the Anatolian Peninsula (a name derived from a Greek word meaning ‘the east, where the sun rises,’ which today refers to the entire Asian part of Türkiye, most of the country’s territory). The Turks, who had lived as nomads on the Mongolian steppe, passed through Central Asia and settled in Anatolia, where in 1077 they founded the Sultanate of Rum (Saljūqiyān-i Rūm, an Islamic dynasty that lasted in Anatolia from 1077 to 1308; ‘Rum’ refers to Rome, which had ruled the region just before). Yet this vast land had been the place where countless civilizations and empires rose and vanished long before the Turks settled here. The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi), housed in an old bazaar building beneath the walls of Ankara Castle, is a place where you can take in the story of the ancient civilizations of the Anatolian plateau at a glance.
To See
Anıtkabir
This is the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal, founder of the Turkish nation. Its architecture, a blend of classicism and traditional Turkish styles, displays a monumental aesthetic in harmony with the vast plaza and orderly stone columns. The museums inside the annexes on either side hold Atatürk’s personal effects and a full account of how the Republic of Türkiye was formed. Regarded as a sacred site symbolizing national identity and pride for the Turkish people, it hosts a solemn memorial ceremony every year at 9:05 a.m. on November 10, the day Mustafa Kemal died. One of the most intriguing sights here is the changing of the guard, held every hour. As the guards stationed inside and outside the mausoleum swap places in a crisp, precise parade, the cheers of the crowd heat up the grounds.
Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi)
Located at the foot of the hill in Ankara’s old town, the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations is considered a treasure house of Turkish archaeology. It gathers under one roof ancient artifacts unearthed across Anatolia, from the Paleolithic to the Hittites (a kingdom that existed on the Anatolian Peninsula from 1600 to 1178 BC) and Phrygia (a state that ruled west-central Anatolia from 1200 to 700 BC). The clay tablets, lion statues, and Bronze Age artifacts excavated at Hattusa (Hattusa) are of particular value in world history. The interior and exterior architectural elements of the museum, set in a bazaar built in the Ottoman era in the 15th century, are also well worth seeing. Ankara Castle (Ankara Kalesi), a good vantage point over the city, is within walking distance of the museum, and we recommend visiting both together. In the alleys inside the castle, you will find stalls selling simit bread and Turkish coffee, along with shops selling all kinds of handicrafts.
National Library (Millî Kütüphane)
The largest public library in Türkiye, it opened in 2020 on the grounds of the Presidential Complex. Beneath a domed roof inscribed with the Quranic verse “He who taught by the pen,” it holds more than 5 million volumes spanning the eras Türkiye has passed through, including the Roman, Seljuk, and Ottoman periods. The underground exhibition hall hosts a permanent exhibition covering the whole of Turkish history, as well as special archaeology exhibitions. It is open year-round for students and researchers, and notably offers food and drinks free of charge. Visitors must bring photo ID.
To Eat
Uludağ
A restaurant specializing in traditional kebabs that has long been loved by locals, with four branches in Ankara. It serves sit-down-style kebabs of lamb and beef grilled in various ways. The popular dish is İskender kebabı (İskender kebab), grilled meat drizzled with melted butter and served with bread, yogurt, and tomato sauce. On the open-air terrace with a fountain, you can experience the Turkish dining custom of lingering over dessert and coffee to finish the meal. You will also often spot locals having their fortunes read (kahve falı, a traditional Turkish custom of turning the cup upside down after finishing the coffee and reading the pattern of grounds left on the saucer).
To Stay
Sheraton Ankara Hotel & Convention Center
A hotel in Çankaya, where Ankara’s embassies and major cultural facilities are clustered. It serves as a venue for international conferences and major diplomatic events. Every room in the tower-shaped building offers an unobstructed view of the city, and amenities such as restaurants, a swimming pool, and a fitness center are well equipped. It is also connected to the large shopping mall Karum Mall. A five-minute walk away, Seğmenler Park is a fine place for a leisurely stroll or, on holidays, a glimpse of locals’ daily life as they enjoy picnics.
Çorum
Traces of the Hittite Empire in Çorum
The road from Ankara heads east across the Anatolian plateau, and outside the window the scenery of vast wheat fields and barren pastures unfolds monotonously. After passing a few planned towns and quarries, and driving a little over three hours, we arrive at Boğazkale, a quiet village in southern Çorum. Despite its unassuming look, it is archaeologically a place of great significance, because this is where Hattusa, the capital of the ancient Hittites, was discovered. With excavations still underway, Boğazkale’s clock turns back to 2000 BC. The Hittites were the first organized state on the Anatolian peninsula and a powerhouse of the ancient world, spanning the Bronze and Iron Ages. The city walls, temples and palaces unearthed at Boğazkale vividly show not only the politics and religion of the era but also how the city took shape. The moment you stand before these magnificent ancient ruins, you will feel the force of the words left by the historian Arnold Joseph Toynbee: “Türkiye is an open-air museum of living human civilization.”
To See
Boğazköy Muzesi (Boğazköy Museum)
This museum gathers artifacts excavated at Hattusa. Its collection is wide-ranging, with cuneiform clay tablets, seals and bronze objects that reveal daily life, religion and administration in the second millennium BC. It is also a good place to build up background knowledge before visiting the Hattusa archaeological site.
Yazılıkaya
Located near Hattusa, this is the rock sanctuary of the Hittite Empire. Reliefs of some 60 deities carved into the rock cliff form a ceremonial space. The sculpted procession of gods who govern the heavens and the underworld conveys the religious worldview of the time in three dimensions. As a symbolic place where the power and faith of the Hittite Empire converge, it is worth visiting together with the Hattusa ruins. At the open-air café in the sanctuary’s parking lot, the vast landscape of Hattusa unfolds in a panorama.
Hattusa Antik Kenti (Hattusa Archaeological Site)
The Hittite capital, first discovered in 1907. The traces of walls, temples and palaces scattered widely across the highland faithfully convey the stature of this once-glorious ancient state. The Lion Gate (originally built as an arch, though its upper part has been damaged; the lion statues come in two versions, the original and a restored one), the King’s Gate and the Underground Gate in particular offer a glimpse of the peak of the building techniques of the time. To take in the entire sprawling site, including a mysterious greenish stone, rocks split by earthquakes and inscriptions carved inside an underground tunnel, it is efficient to book a guided tour or to get around by car. The visitor center sells an English-language guidebook produced by an archaeologist.
To Eat
Dulkadiroğlu Konağı (Dulkadiroğlu Mansion)
A multipurpose cultural space and restaurant converted from a traditional Turkish mansion, where you can sample a wide range of local dishes in a tranquil setting. Wandering through the building, with its blend of stone walls and timber structure, and the courtyard, feels like traveling through time. The menu centers on regional home cooking, and the standout is sarma (grape leaves rolled around grains, minced meat and herbs; a dish enjoyed in Türkiye as well as Greece, the Balkans and the Caucasus, and sometimes called dolma), which is distinctive. It also runs a workshop where textile crafts are made and sold.
19310 Çorum, Boğazkale, Çarşı
Side Trip
Basilica Therma
The ruins of a Roman bathhouse that you can see on the overland route from Çorum to Cappadocia. Built around the second century in Sarıkaya, in Yozgat Province, Basilica Therma lay buried underground until its site was first discovered in 1932. After long years of restoration and excavation, it opened to the public in 2023. The ruins offer a glimpse of Roman building techniques and bathing culture, with arched structures and stone bathing halls, and hot spring water still wells up in the bathhouse pools built over a natural spring. Sarıkaya, famous as a “city of hot springs” since ancient Roman times, still has several hotels with spa facilities today.
Interview
With Andreas Schachner, archaeologist at the Hattusa site
When did you set out on the path of archaeology?
I studied Mesopotamian and Asian cultures in Germany, and in 1989 I studied archaeology in Ankara. After taking part in various archaeological projects, I began working in 2005 at a German archaeological institute based in Istanbul.
How did you come to take part in the excavation of Hattusa?
I regard my interest in Hittite civilization as a kind of destiny. The Hittites had a properly organized state system, which made me curious. In a word, I think of them as a model of a civilization that overcame its environment.
Is there anything difficult about excavating?
We excavate for four months of the year, including the summer. Winters bring heavy snow and cold, so it is hard to dig.
What episode stands out in your memory?
The underground tunnel was found in a place that countless tourists and scholars had passed through. It is remarkable that no one knew it was there until then. In this way, Hattusa must still hold countless ruins waiting to be excavated.