Ulus, Ankara

3 more images

The focal point of Ulus is Ulus Meydani, a small square with an Ataturk statue and lots of pigeons. Ataturk sits on a horse in this one, and a few gun-toting soldiers stand each side of him (they're also statues!). This seems to be a focal point for old men to gather and chat in the morning, and later on I saw a mini protest here, not a very vocal one, just a few studenty types with banners looking a bit self-conscious, and any noise they made was drowned out by the men outside a cheap women's fashion store advertising that everything was 10TL!

A good place to watch the "action" is Simit Sarayi, which has a couple of tables outside on even the coldest days, where you can enjoy a tea, a simit and maybe a cigarette, while people watching.

4 more images

There no way to visit a Turkish city and not notice the statue of Kemal Ataturk in the main square. I think the most important in Ankara is the statue of Ataturk riding a horse which is located here at Ulus. Kemal Ataturk(1881-1938) was Rebublic’s founder, nation builder but also a general and grand leader for the Turks. He reformed Turkey into a modern nation with new laws, new alphabet and made everything need to keep the nation together after the fall of the Ottoman empire.

Ulus was designed to be the centre of the city from the start as this was the epicenter since late 19th century and was called Tashan after 1890 because of a building that was built there but changed into the Hakimiyeti Milliye Meydani(Sovereignty of the Nation Square) but in the 1930’s into (more Turkish) Ulus Meydani (Nation Square). Social life gathered around the square while new public office were rising but most of the locals were coming for celebrations etc The Ataturk monument dominated the square with figure of Ataturk that represend the national solidarity and the independence of the Turkish nation. Although the chaotic traffic didn’t allow us to have a better view of the monument there are some other figures at the bottom, 2 soldiers(one is defending the other ready to attack) and a woman carrying a bomb so all the figures symbolizing braveness, dignify and altruism.

After WWII the square turned into a commercial center for the working class, upper class moved to Kizilay and Ulus is until today one of the poorest areas.

Before we check the museums of the area we walked a bit around taking pictures on the main street (pics 2-3) and some interesting buildings like Ankara Palace (pic 4), the oldest hotel in Ankara. It was built by architect Kemaleddin Bey in 1927 and served as the official residence for the members of Turkish Grand Assembly.

2 more images

Ulus, centered on Ulus Meydani (Ulus Square) at the intersection of Ataturk Bulvari/Cankiri Cad and Cumhuriyet Cad/Anafartalar Cad is the early Republic core of the city. Most of the early Republican commercial and govnermental buildings, plus a few buildings from the very late Ottoman period, are in this area. The buildings here are very representative of the two primary styles of early Republican architecture: neo-Ottoman builkdings common through the 20s and the subsequent style, taking over in the late 20s through the 40s, of modernist, Austro-German influenced buildings that I find hard to classify as any style other than "Early Turkish Republican." These buildings are generally modernist with a lot of art-deco influence, yet combining elements of simplified neo-classical and even Bauhaus.

Great examples of the early Republican buildings here include the Turkiye Is Bankasi, the Ankara Palas, Sumer Bank, the State Opera House. It also includes the late Ottoman building that functioned as the first parliament building and which is now the War of Independence Museum.

Several of these buildings are at Ulus Meydani itself, the large intersection with the square that includes the large equestrian monument to Ataturk as well as the Mehmetcik (Turkish soldier) and the men and women who fought in the War of Independence.

It was designed as a group of statues. The main aim is to show the success of Turkish Nation in Independence War. It's located on the square Ulus.