Ulus, Ankara

Ulus is a quarter in Ankara, Turkey and is located at the center of the capital city. It was once the heart of old Ankara. The name means "tribe, nation" in Turkish.

Ulus Square, the surrounding area

View towards Ulus from the Ferris wheel of the Gençlik Parkı

It is now a predominantly a commercial and tourist area made up of banks, malls, shops, hotels, businesses, restaurants, and many historical sites. The first Turkish Grand National Assembly convened here in 1923 in the parliament building at Ulus Square (Turkish: Ulus Meydanı), which still stands in original. Across from the historical parliament building is the city's oldest hotel, the Ankara Palas, where Atatürk had stayed. Ankara Citadel, another historical attraction, is located immediate east of Ulus.^[1]

In the center of Ulus Square, there is a memorial called Monument of Republic, which was erected in 1927 as a symbol of the Turkish War of Independence.

The Statue of Victory at Ulus Square was depicted on the reverse of the Turkish 21⁄2 lira banknote of 1939-1952^[2] and of the 50 lira banknotes of 1951–1979.^[3]

A shopping mall situated next to Ulus square was subject to a terrorist bombing on 22 May 2007.

Places of interest

• Ankara Castle
• Ankara Ethnography Museum
• Ankara Palas
• Antique Rome theatre of Ankara
• Aslanhane Mosque
• Çengelhan Rahmi M. Koç Museum
• Column of Julianus (362 AD)
• Erimtan Archaeology and Arts Museum
• Gençlik Parkı
• Hacı Bayram Mosque
• Temple of Augustus
• Republic Museum
• Roman Bath (3rd century AD)
• Roman Road of Ankara
• State Art and Sculpture Museum
• St. Teresa's Catholic Church, Ankara
• Suluhan
• Ulucanlar Prison Museum
• War of Independence Museum (Kurtuluş Savaşı Müzesi) - originally the first parliament building

See also

• 2007 Ankara bombing

References

1. Planetware, Ulus Meydanı (in Turkish)
2. Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey Archived 2009-06-15 at the Wayback Machine. Banknote Museum: 2. Emission Group - Two-And-A-Half Turkish Lira - I. Series. – Retrieved on 20 April 2009.
3. Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey Archived 2009-06-15 at the Wayback Machine. Banknote Museum: 5. Emission Group - Fifty Turkish Lira - I. Series, II. Series, III. Series, IV. Series, V. Series, VI. Series & VII. Series. – Retrieved on 20 April 2009.

39°56′30.85″N 32°51′15.60″E