Ankara
Ankara is the capital city of modern Turkey, was founded by the Phrygians in the 8th century B.C. There are many archaeological remains from some of the earliest civilizations in the world in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations with its finds from Catalhoyuk, Kultepe, Gordion, Toprakkale, Carchemish and other sites. Fine ancient metal work and the original -Mother Goddess- figures. Other sights include the citadel and the mausoleum of Ataturk. HISTORY OF THE CITY The first settlements on the site of Ankara date back to the Bronze Age. The earliest Hatti Civilisation was later succeeded by the Hitties, the Phrygians, Lydians and Persians. The next period of Ankara history came with the Galatians, a Celtic people who as the first made Ankara their capital in the 3rd century BC. The town was subsequently incorporated by the Romans, Byzantines, and Selcuks, and in 1402 to the Ottomans. Their dynasty remained in power until World War I. The town, once an important trade centre on the silk route to the east, had lost its importance by the 19th century. It became an important centre again when Kemal Ataturk chose it as the main base to run the War of Liberation. As a result of its its strategic position and the role in the war, it became the capital of the new Turkish state on the 13th October,1923.
