Ankara Roman Theatre

"The Ankara Roman Theatre, discovered in 1982, became the focus of archaeological excavation beginning on 15 March 1983, with rescue excavations continuing until 1986. The dig was conducted under the authority and supervision of the Directorate of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ulus, led by the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. Dating to the early 2nd century AD, the theatre stands as a typical example of classical Roman theatre architecture in Anatolia. Excavations revealed vaulted parados corridors (side entrance passages), a stone-paved orchestra floor, the cavea (audience seating tiers), foundation remains of the stage building (scaenae frons), and wall traces of backstage chambers and service spaces. In addition, numerous statues, sculptural fragments, and decorative architectural pieces were also unearthed. Today, the site is preserved as a registered archaeological heritage zone and is open to visitors as part of Ankara’s cultural tourism routes, functioning as a historic open-air heritage area supported by conservation-focused restoration and site improvement projects."

Historical Museum of Polatlı Municipality

"Established in 2014, the Polatlı Historical Sites Promotion Center (POTA) is recognized as the first privately founded museum in Polatlı. Located in a three-story modern building along the Ankara–Eskişehir highway, the center offers visitors an in-depth look into Türkiye’s recent military history. The museum’s information panels and detailed maps present a chronological narrative from the Gallipoli Campaign to the Great Offensive, providing valuable historical context for visitors. Glass display sections showcase various artifacts recovered from battlefields, each accompanied by the names of their donors, allowing guests to engage directly with tangible traces of the past. POTA stands as a significant cultural and educational stop for those interested in Türkiye’s war history, offering an immersive and well-curated visitor experience."

Museum of Etnography

The Museum of Ethnography holds the distinction of being the first building in Türkiye constructed specifically to serve as a museum. It was opened to the public on July 18, 1930, with artifacts collected from local communities. Following the passing of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1938, the museum’s inner courtyard served as his temporary resting place for 15 years. The museum is dedicated to exhibiting artifacts from the Turkish-Islamic period of Anatolia. Its halls feature displays on traditional clothing, embroidery, jewelry, and cultural practices such as henna night and the groom’s ceremonial shaving. The museum also showcases elements of hamam (Turkish bath) culture. In addition, visitors can explore regional examples of Anatolian carpets and kilims, metalwork, copperware tools and utensils, exhibits themed around Turkish coffee culture, traditional spoons, a reconstructed Turkish room, and ceremonial items related to circumcision rituals. The museum also houses fine examples of Turkish tiles, ceramics, glassware, weaponry, calligraphic panels, and rare wooden artifacts from the Seljuk and Ottoman periods. A special exhibition room is dedicated to the Besim Atalay Collection, presenting selected pieces from his personal archive.

Mehmet Akif Ersoy Literature Museum Library

Located in Ankara’s Hamamönü district, an area awarded the European Union Destination of Excellence, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Literature Museum Library operates in a two-storey historical building that reflects the architectural and cultural heritage of traditional Ankara houses. The museum-library was inaugurated on March 12, 2011, marking the 90th anniversary of the adoption of the Turkish National Anthem (İstiklâl Marşı). Designed as both a museum exhibiting the personal belongings of Mehmed Âkif Ersoy and a research and cultural center, the library houses the works authored by the poet as well as books written about him. Its collection includes publications on the Turkish War of Independence and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a city library focused on Ankara and its districts, and publications by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. In addition, signed books, award-winning literary works, translated examples of Turkish literature in various languages, publications on literary theory, grammar, semantics, and a range of other collection materials are available for visitors’ use.

Nasuh Paşa Inn

Nasuh Pasha Inn, also known as Suluhan, was commissioned by Nasuh Pasha, who served as Grand Vizier in the early 17th century. The foundation deed of the inn is dated 1613 (1022 AH). Suluhan was constructed in the style of classical Ottoman urban caravanserais. It has a two-storey structure with a nearly square rectangular plan. While only the southern and eastern walls of the building have survived, the entrance façade remains well preserved. The main entrance is set within a large barrel-vaulted iiwān. Above the depressed-arch doorway, there is a relief depicting a bifurcated sword, along with a two-line inscription. The rooms of the inn are arranged around an inner courtyard and open onto it through façades featuring a single door and window each. Rubble stone was predominantly used in the construction of the load-bearing walls, with cut stone and brick employed in certain sections. According to the three-line Turkish restoration inscription above the entrance, the inn underwent repairs between 1918 and 1921 under the supervision of Deputy Governor Mehmet Hurşit Bey. Restoration works initiated in 2009 were completed in 2016, after which the inn was reopened for public use.

My Moneybox Museum

The transformation of collecting over time is considered a cultural asset. Traditional moneybox culture has evolved into digital forms today; this transformation is reflected in the ways individuals accumulate valuables. Created with this in mind, My Moneybox Museum views museums as “moneybox” representing cultural heritage and aims to transform each moneybox into a tool that makes visible the treasures hidden in dreams. The museum defines each individual as a moneybox with their own cultural heritage and offers visitors the opportunity to fill their “moneybox of time” with unique experiences offered during different visits.

Industry and Technology Museum Of Machınery and Chemıcal Industry Instıtutıon

The Machinery and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKEK) Industry and Technology Museum was established to highlight MKEK’s contributions to the history of Turkish industry, as well as its role in shaping the country’s production culture and the foundation of many new institutions. The museum serves as a venue for collecting, preserving, researching, and exhibiting artifacts and documents related to industry and engineering, including those belonging to institutions and individuals who have played a significant role in guiding the development of Turkish industry, especially MKEK.

Türkpusat Tradıtıonal War Arrows Museum

Established in 2019, the Türkpusat Museum aims to promote traditional weapons, equipment, and ethnographic artifacts, thereby preserving cultural heritage. The museum provides historical, philosophical, and technical insights into Turkish martial arts, with a particular focus on archery. Additionally, it highlights the craftsmanship underlying the military tradition in detail. Designed to allow visitors to experience, touch, and feel history, the museum exhibits original collections from various periods of Turkish warfare and sports history. It houses the largest and most diverse collection of arrowheads in terms of type and era. Visitors can also participate in cultural activities, including traditional Turkish archery shooting and workshop training.

Geopark Museum

The Geopark Museum, affiliated with Kızılcahamam Municipality, conveys the geoenvironment and the interaction between extinct and living organisms through digital exhibitions, films, games, replicas, and original artifacts. The museum displays traces dating back 23 million years to the third phase of the geological time period, a time characterized by intense volcanic activity that shaped the lands of Anatolia. Additionally, the museum features animal models representing the region’s fauna.

Hamiye Çolakoğlu Ceramics Museum

The museum, established to honor the memory of ceramic artist Hamiye Çolakoğlu, began operating after her passing in 2014. Hamiye Çolakoğlu was also the founder of the Ceramics Department at Hacettepe University. She was the first female artist in Türkiye to produce high-fired ceramic works at temperatures of 1,280 °C and above. Her ceramic wall installations and sculptures, which integrate with architecture, are featured in various institutional buildings, enhancing the aesthetic value of the spaces they are integrated into.

Ankara Museum of Intangible Culturel Haritage

Ankara Museum of Intangible Cultural Heritage, aims to contribute to transform Ankara from a city known primarily for bureaucracy and civil service into a center of cultural tourism. The museum conducts field research to identify the city’s historical and cultural values and seeks to transmit these findings to future generations by developing applicable models based on the collected data. The museum’s activities are shaped by research, conducted in various districts and villages of Ankara, with the results presented through interactive and practical demonstrations. Among the traditional performing arts showcased are Karagöz (shadow play), orta oyunu (traditional improvised theatre), meddah (storytelling), village plays, and traditional children’s games. Handicrafts such as ıhlamur woodblock printing and the art of ebru (paper marbling) are also featured as part of the museum’s hands-on offerings. In addition, the museum keeps alive various elements of Ankara’s intangible cultural heritage, including folktales, folk songs, stories, lullabies, rhymed folk poems, traditional gatherings, symbolic henna nights, diş hediği (baby’s first tooth celebration), and military send-off ceremonies with henna.

Ankara Roman Theatre

It was discovered in 1982 and salvage excavations began on March 15, 1983. Salvage excavations were carried out until 1986 by Museum of Anatolian Civilizationss Directorate. During excavations, remains of a typical Roman theatre dated to the beginning of 2nd century B.C. were found. In addition to the many statues and pieces of statues, some of the remains of the theatre include parts of the foundation and the walls of the vaulted parados, the floored orchestra, the audience section (cavea) and the stage.