Ankara Castle

Ankara Castle stands on a hill in the centre of Ankara, Turkey. Its oldest parts date from the 8th century BC when the Phrygians built the first fortification here. The Galatians rebuilt it in 278 BC, and later the Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans each repaired or enlarged the walls. Two lines of defence remain: an inner wall with closely spaced towers and an outer wall with towers about forty metres apart. Both lines use large blocks taken from earlier buildings, so the castle is made almost entirely of reused stone. The inner enclosure covers about 350 metres by 150 metres and contains the oldest surviving structures. The outer wall probably dates from after the Persian sack of 622 AD, though some scholars suggest the inner wall may be from the 7th century under Emperor Constans II. The masonry shows repairs in every period, from Roman brickwork to Seljuk carvings and Ottoman plaster. Visitors walk along both circuits, noticing how the stone changes colour and texture with each century. Inside the inner walls there are narrow lanes, small houses and a few public buildings that give the citadel a lived-in feel. The highest point offers wide views over Ankara’s modern skyline and the surrounding steppe. The contrast between the ancient stones and the modern city below shows how the castle has watched over the capital for nearly three thousand years.