How beautifully said Cemal Süreya: “Ankara, kind-hearted stepmother.” “… As an Istanbulite who has been under Ankara captivity for 4 years, I decided to write about Ankara. Of course, I don’t love Ankara. Of course, when compared to Istanbul, it seems like there is nothing to do in Ankara. But sometimes everyone exaggerates so much that it’s not that much, friends! Ankara also has places to visit, nice cafes and nice restaurants. Even though it is not Istanbul, our Ankara is also beautiful. Now let’s come to the places to visit and see in Ankara: – METU: Of course, I will go to my school and start with it first 🙂 You can come to METU and lie on the grass at Devrim Stadium, run, do sports. You can play billiards and eat in the Bazaar. You can have a mixed breakfast for 8-9 TL per person at Terrace and Kebap1956 in Çarşı. You can go to the Cati Cafe, eat the open buffet and enjoy paying by weighing. Of course, you may have trouble entering the door, in which case I am just an e-mail away. I promise, if anyone comes but cannot enter, I will help 🙂 – Bahçeli 7th Street: The beautiful street of Ankara, where cafes and shops are located. Walking along it is a distinct pleasure. – Tunalı Hilmi Street & Kuğulu Park: Kuğulu Park is a small but peaceful park that is loved by the people of Ankara. It is located on Tunali Hilmi Street. There are many shops and very nice cafes in Tunalı. It is the elite district of Ankara. – Anıtkabir: A place that everyone must see and gives me goosebumps every time I visit. We are on leave. – Lake Eymir: It belongs to my dear school, METU, where you can ride a bike, rent a boat, eat, in short, have a great day. Definitely go. You won’t feel like you’re in Ankara, it’s like a different place. It’s great fun to rent a bike and ride around the lake. Also, fish and bread is very enjoyable. – Hamamönü: The cute district of Ankara. It’s a place where there are many nice cafes and it’s especially cheap to have breakfast. Hamamönü, like Eymir, is one of the places where you will feel like you are outside Ankara. Definitely go. When you walk a little higher from Hamamönü, you will see many beautiful passages. Shops selling records, old items… They’re all great! – Ankara Castle: If you want to look at Ankara from a hill, let’s take you like this. Of course, it’s not a view of Istanbul, but you can handle it 🙂 I found it very interesting that it was not surrounded in any way. It is quite dangerous, be careful with children! – Gölbaşı: You can think of it as a larger version of Eymir. A little further, of course… There are many restaurants by the lake, Bitez Yalısı Restaurant is recommended. -Genclik Park: If you want to go to the amusement park and have fun, you should head to Genclik Park. Especially on summer evenings, water and light shows are beautiful. Don’t think of it as just an amusement park, there are many places where you can walk and sit. – Dikmen Valley: The address of peace. You can take a walk, sit and enjoy nature. There are wooden tables, I recommend you bring your food and have a picnic; It is very enjoyable. If you don’t mind, of course there are cafes… There is also a small amusement park for children. – Belpa Ice Skating: The large ice rink in Bahçeli. It was last open to the public until noon on weekdays and in the afternoon on weekends. 45 minute session is 10 TL. I think it’s a great leisure activity. Be careful, don’t break your arm or leg 🙂 – Ulucanlar Prison: The place where Deniz and Hüseyin were hanged… It is so impressive that it makes one’s blood run cold. One of the places you should definitely visit, you won’t regret it. WHAT AND WHERE SHOULD WE EAT? WHICH PLACES SHOULD WE GO? – Kızılay Vadi Bar: Located in Kızılay, Sakarya, Vadi Bar is very nice with both its music and its atmosphere. Don’t pay attention to what I call a bar, it’s not a diptis, diptis place. It’s a pleasant place that plays mostly original music, has good food, and has a student-friendly owner. Ideal for those who want to go in the evening, drink two beers and listen to my music. – Telwe: Also located in Kızılay Sakarya, it is an ideal place to have fun and have fun with live music on weekends. The Old-New Bar located next to it is the same way and is recommended for those who want to have fun. – OT: Cafe with branches in both Kızılay and Tunalı. I’ve never been to the one in Kızılay, but the one in Tunalı is EF-SA-NE. Can everything be beautiful in one place? You go in, there are poems on the walls… You order food, it’s great! We tasted so many different foods with my friends, can anything be bad? Waffles are also great. A distinguished place whose wifi password is “we cannot give”. Definitely go 🙂 – Devrez: He is a kebab restaurant located in Esat. But it’s more about the soup than the kebab. I raise my expectations by saying it is the best soup I have ever had in my life, you should definitely go and have it. – Çukurağa Sofrası: Ankara’s distinguished kebab restaurant located in Emek. There are so many treats coming that you will probably be full before the food arrives. Everything is great! 10 out of 10. Definitely go, sometimes it can be very difficult to find a place, you can make a reservation before you go. – Marco Pascha Cafe with Garden: A slightly salty place with a nice atmosphere. My friends who smoke it like its hookah, I think the food is not very successful, but it is a nice environment to sit and have a drink. – Fidan Culture Cafe: Located in Kızılay, it is a shabby place that is very nice to watch and plays great music. You can sit and read a book, play backgammon, or listen to music. One of my favorite places… – Atatürk Orman Çiftliği: You cannot come to Ankara without eating kokoreç at Atatürk Orman Çiftliği. They say it goes very well when you scrape your belly at night. I don’t eat kokoreç, I don’t know 🙂 One of the rare places in Ankara where you can go without worrying about time… SHOPPING CENTERS? People of Ankara love shopping malls, especially in winter months, because the weather is very cold, everyone flocks to shopping malls. Here are the shopping malls in Ankara and my comments: – Kentpark & ​​Cepa: Two shopping malls located side by side on Eskişehir Road. Both are very beautiful, you can find any store you are looking for. Kenpark also has a bowling alley. There is Cinemaximum in Cepa and Prestige Cinemas in Kentpark. The seats of the cinema halls in Kentpark are quite comfortable. – Armada: Also located on Eskişehir Road, is the shopping mall that I do not like at all. It has a gloomy atmosphere and is generally empty. You can find very luxurious stores here. – Next Level: It has just opened opposite Armada and the store variety is not very wide, but the interior is nice. There is a Victoria’s Secret, it is announced to those who are interested. – Taurus: The newly opened shopping mall in Balgat, which I love. I liked the interior very much, there are also many shops. Of course, the variety is less compared to Kentpark-Cepa, but it is still very nice. – Gordion: A very beautiful shopping center located in Ümitköy. Whatever you’re looking for, it’s pretty nice. – Panora: Elite shopping center in Oran: ) There are all kinds of stores in it, go there if you happen to be, but it’s too far to go privately 🙂 – Ikea&A City: Ikea and A city are located side by side, quite far from the city center. Many stores have outlets in A City. In the store called Occasion, you can find past season products of brands such as Lacoste and Burberry at very cheap prices. Mavi, Mango and Adidas are the same way… – Optimum Outlet: The shopping center where I especially love Koton and Mavi. There is a lot of variety and it is cheap. I think their other stores are not very successful, but it is worth going to Mavi 🙂 There is also a small ice rink inside. I will update the article as I travel and see new places. I end my article with a poem that I love very much, take care of yourself 🙂 “Snow would suit Ankara so well… The asphalt would shine, the official lies would freeze.” Mavimore Turizm is a travel agency registered with TÜRSAB. Document number: A-8307