Ankara

It was a six hour bus ride from Istanbul.  We did stop for lunch on the way which broke up the long trip.

Ankara is the capitol since 1923 with the establishment of the Turkish Republic.  The population is more than 3 million.  Since Roman times, Ankara has been a flourishing trade and administrative center. Around 400 AD, Ankara was the summer capital of the Byzantine emperors who moved their court and administration center there from Istanbul.  Today it's a modern city.  Previously, this Ottoman town was called Angora. 

We arrived in Ankara in the middle of the afternoon.  We drove by the Mausoleum of Atatürk, the founder of modern day Turkey.    

We then proceeded to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations.  That's where Kirsten met and shook hands with the President of Croatia, who was on a state visit.

On the way from Istanbul to Ankara we had a short stop at a old caravan station and I photographed this house nearly.  This is a fairly typical middle class house in the country.  The other photo is apartment buildings in Ankara.

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