Ankara is asserting its role as a vital cultural hub following its official designation as the 2026 Tourism Capital of the Turkic world.
The city serves as a strategic link between Eastern and Western civilisations, a position highlighted by its historical and archaeological depth. At the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, Deputy Manager Dr. Umut Alagöz traces this legacy through thousands of years of artefacts, identifying Anatolia as a bridge between Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean.
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This heritage is anchored at the UNESCO-listed site of Gordion, the former Phrygian capital. Archaeologist Mustafa Metin, Deputy Director of the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, notes that the site’s 3,000-year-old citadel and the 53-metre-high burial mound of King Gordios mark it as a former centre of ancient power.
Today, that influence persists through the capital's diplomatic and culinary scenes; at Trilye Restaurant, owner Süreyya Üzmez sources seafood from across Türkiye’s four seas, mirroring the city's status as a refined, modern intersection of cultures.
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