Ankara & the Anatolia Region - Turkey with Your Family: From Bustling Bazaars to Historic Sites - page 199

The modern, cosmopolitan city of Ankara is the capital of Turkey

and the centre of the country's political life. It lies, pretty much, in
the heart of the country, geographically speaking. Its location is also
fairly central in the Anatolia region. This region tends to be divided
into Central Anatolia and Southeastern Anatolia for convenience,
and is absolutely vast. In fact, Anatolia is larger than all the other
regions of Turkey put together. It is famous for its vast plateaux,
forests, massively high mountains, inland lakes and, of course,
Ankara, as well as the most unusual rock formations on earth in
Cappadocia, known as 'Fairy Chimneys'.
Ankara has an old quarter dating back centuries, but is essentially a
modern city. In terms of bringing your children here, the city offers
many educational opportunities, such as the outstanding Anitkabir
Mausoleum , or the Atatürk Mausoleum, and the Museum of
Anatolian Civilizations . While the city doesn't have a large number of
attractions for children like theme parks or long stretches of beach
that characterise the Aegean and Mediterranean regions, it does give
them the chance to play in a dozen or so extremely lush parks and
visit attractions like the Atatürk Forest Farm and Zoo as well as
spend time at an aquapark , ice-skating rink or a toy museum .
Anatolia , in contrast to Ankara, has only the sense of hustle and
bustle in a handful of cities dotted about this vast expanse of land-
scape. You can travel for hours without seeing a town, and only an
occasional village. There are many national parks and if your family is
drawn by walks, mountain pursuits and nature then a holiday in the
Anatolia region may suit you, but if your children are the restless type
then you may wish to visit another part of Turkey with more child-
orientated attractions.
Other towns and cities to see in the Anatolia region are Çankara,
Eskisehir , Kayseri, Kirsehir , Konya , Nevsehir , Nigde , Sivas ,
Yozgat , Aksaray , Karaman and Kirikkale . Not all are what could be
described as tourist areas, and may not have hotels suitable for fami-
lies, so if exploring central Turkey for, perhaps, a nature trail or walk-
ing holiday, a skiing break or camping, then be sure to check ahead.
This region is huge and you will want to know that refreshment facili-
ties and a warm bed are waiting for you at the end of your journey,
especially if travelling with very young children.

ESSENTIALS

Ankara International Esenboga
Airport ( b [phone] ;
www.ataturkairport.com ), and
make their way by car or public
transport to their destination.
Visitors to Cappadocia, the main
tourist area of the Anatolia

Getting There
By Plane Most visitors to Ankara
and the Anatolia region will
arrive at Ankara's airport, the

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