It has to be said that Ankara is an ugly city. It has neither the sprawling historical grandeur of Istanbul, the whitewashed prettiness of the Mediterranean resorts, nor the lush green scenery of the Black Sea harbours. Rather, it seems to have been designed first by Soviet architects fleeing Stalin's reign of terror, then by 60's town planners who were of the opinion that nothing soothes the eye more than a nice slab of concrete. There are, it is true, a few beautiful old buildings dating back to the early Republican period and beyond, but these are tucked away in the seedier parts of the city and coated carefully with grime so that no one will notice them.

However, there is one thing which redeems Ankara aesthetically. Turkey is a very young country, demographically speaking, and Ankara has more universities and colleges than anywhere else apart from Istanbul (which doesn't count, since it has a population almost twice that of Israel). This combination means that you are likely to see more bright young women per square mile here than almost anywhere else in the world.

Ankara is the best, forget the rest...

http://www.mymerhaba.com/Night-Train-to-Ankara-in-Turkey-3478.html

not kidding, i have been living in Ankara for a very long time.

Actually, I've been to Ankara and found it very pleasant. The lack of all the walking shorts wearing tourists looking for touristic sites was a relief.

I enjoyed my very short visit to Ankara when our flight was full and we were delayed 22 hours, in August. We went to the old part, which is quite pretty. Like any city there is always the nice parts and the not so nice parts.

I love this city and agree with what other have said about it being a city in which one could live. Where as Istanbul i think i would find it hard so spend long periods of time there,its very intense where are Ankara has a more relaxed and a feel of home. Even though it is a huge city and can seem never ending somehow to me i feel more comfortable there than Ist,although i do love it even if only for a few days at a time!!

Stop this glamorizations of Ankara!!
For me, the happiest moments of Ankara have always been the times when I was coming back to Istanbul..

I second this what you are saying thehandsome

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