Ankara Castle

Its eponymous Castle, one of Ankara's most important symbols, is a monument of history that has stood for centuries. Although the exact year of construction of Ankara Castle is not known, it is known that a garrison established during the time of the Hittites began to be established for the purpose of deploying it, and later it was expanded for centuries by the Romans, Byzantines and Seljuks respectively to provide functions for the defense of the city. It is also mentioned in the records that it was devastated by the Sassanids from the east in 620, before being captured by the Byzantines. It is understood that during the repairs of the castle, which had column heads, sarcophagi and even sculptural fragments, the surrounding Roman period ruins were made use of. After being included in the Ottoman Empire, the historic Ankara Castle reaches to the present day without any major repairs or restorations. There are 42 towers on the inside and 20 towers on the outside. With 42 pentagonal-shaped bastions, the castle walls, which have an average height of 15 meters, stand out for kilometers in length. Every corner of Ankara Castle welcomes visitors with a mark from history. For example, on one of the gates of the inner castle, there is an inscription dating from the years of Ilkhanid rule, and on the northwest part, there is an inscription from the Seljuks.