Description of the attraction
One of the most interesting monuments telling about the history of Ankara is the Hisar Fortress or Citadel. The imposing structure of the fortress sits on top of a hill and is visible from almost anywhere in the city. It is surrounded by a double ring of fortified walls. Most likely, this fortress could have served as a refuge even in the times of the Hittites. The outer ring of the walls, which today surrounds the fortress, was built in the ninth century under Emperor Michael II. The inner walls date back to the 6th century.
Internal four-storey fortress, partly built from Ankara stone, as well as using spolien. The stones for the construction of the walls were taken from the ruins of ancient buildings of antiquity. The height of the towers in the inner fortress varies between fourteen and sixteen meters. The fortress today has many Ottoman Ankara houses dating back to the seventeenth century.
The citadel had a difficult and important task - to repel and defend attacks on the borders, which means that, being a kind of "border post", it always had to be in a state of military readiness to repel the enemy.
You can get to the territory of the fortress through the gate located under the tower, decorated with a clock with a large dial. The thickness of the walls surrounding the inner perimeter of the fortress is about eight meters, while the walls themselves are twelve meters high. The highest point here is the White Fortress, well preserved to our times. There is also a small mosque built in the twelfth century. In the fortress, you can climb the tower located in the eastern side and enjoy the wonderful view of the city that opens from here.
Around the Citadel, on the ledges of a hill, are the streets of the old city. Everything here still looks like a hundred or two years ago. Some residents built houses close to the fortress walls.
At the moment, most of the old buildings located on the territory of the fortress have been converted for modern needs - for example, some of them house souvenir shops and cozy restaurants. Traditional Turkish products, carpets and antiques are on sale here. Most of the buildings are protected by UNESCO.
