Turkey Guide
North Central Anatolia
When the first Turkish nomads arrived in Anatolia during the tenth and eleventh centuries, the landscape must have been strongly reminiscent of their Central Asian homeland. However, the terrain that so pleased the tent-dwelling herdsmen of a thousand years ago has few attractions for modern visitors. There are monotonous, rolling vistas of stone-strewn grassland, dotted with rocky outcrops and hospitable only to sheep. In winter it can be numbingly cold, while in summer temperatures rise to almost unbearable levels.
It seems appropriate that the heart of original Turkish settlement should be home to Ankara, the political and social centre of modern Turkey. This European-style capital rises out of a stark landscape, a symbol of Atatürk's dream of a secular Turkish republic. Though it's a far less exciting city than İstanbul, Ankara does make a good starting point for travels through Anatolia. And even if it's a city more important for its social and political status than for any pronounced architectural or aesthetic merit, it does have great moments.
North Central Anatolia also boasts the remains of Hattuşa, one of the earliest known cities in Turkey. Located near the village of Boğazkale, Hattuşa was once the capital of the Hittite Empire. East of here, at Amasya, the rock-cut tombs of the pre-Roman Pontic kings tower over a haphazard riverside settlement of Ottoman wooden houses.
Highlights
1 Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ankara A treasure-hoard of artefacts contained in one of the most prestigious museums in Turkey.
2 Hattuşa Enclosed by six-kilometre-long walls, the Hittite capital was an immense city and its scale is still awe-inspiring today.
3 Rock tombs of Amasya Massive rock tombs of the Pontic kings carved into a cliff-face and lit up at night to great effect.
4 Ottoman hotels, Amasya Sleep in low-slung Ottoman beds in stunningly restored Ottoman houses with creaky floorboards and authentic antiques.