Geography

Altındağ District of Ankara is located in the Upper Sakarya Section in the northwestern part of the Central Anatolia Region. Altındağ is bordered by Çubuk and Pursaklar to the north, Keçiören and Yenimahalle to the west, Mamak to the south, Çankaya to the southwest, and Akyurt and Elmadağ to the east. The district is established on rugged terrain between the Ankara Plain and the Çubuk and Akıncı Plains. Altındağ covers an area of 157.47 square kilometers. Of this area, 31% is mountainous, 6% consists of plains, and 3% is undulating terrain. The district lies at an elevation of 850 meters above sea level. While the terrain toward Keçiören, Yenimahalle, and Çankaya is relatively flat, it consists of moderately elevated hills toward Mamak and Çubuk. The surface of the district is surrounded by the İdris and Hüseyingazi Mountains to the east of Ankara, the Etlik and Karyağdı Mountains to the north, and the Ankara Plain. Its southern boundary is formed by the Hatip and Ankara streams. The Çubuk Dam, built on the Çubuk Stream, divides Altındağ into northern and southern parts.

Climate and Vegetation

Altındağ generally experiences a continental climate, with cold and rainy winters and hot, dry summers. The highest average precipitation occurs in May with 51.8 millimeters, while the lowest occurs in August with 14.4 millimeters. In spring, rainfall known locally as “kırkikindi rains” is common. The annual average precipitation is 367 millimeters. The hottest months are July (average 23.4°C) and August (average 23.9°C), while the coldest months are January (average 0.6°C) and February (average 1°C). Temperature differences between summer and winter, as well as between day and night, are quite significant, with an average temperature variation of around 12°C. The natural vegetation consists mainly of steppe. Forests and shrublands are almost nonexistent. The soil becomes green in spring, while grasses turn yellow and dry out during summer. To improve vegetation, afforestation efforts are carried out especially along riverbanks. The soil type is predominantly calcareous.

Culture and Arts

Altındağ is home to some of Turkey’s largest and most significant museums. Dozens of cultural sites, most notably the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and the Ankara Ethnography Museum, preserve and present the traces of Anatolian civilizations to the present day. The Ankara State Museum of Painting and Sculpture houses many works by prominent sculptors and painters of the Republican Era. The First Grand National Assembly Building serves as the Ankara War of Independence Museum, while the Second Grand National Assembly Building functions as the Republic Museum. Located in the historic Çengelhan, the Çengelhan Rahmi M. Koç Museum is one of the world’s leading industrial museums. In Hamamönü, the house where Mehmet Akif Ersoy lived and wrote the Turkish National Anthem is now open to visitors as the Mehmet Akif Ersoy Museum House. One of the most important monuments is the Victory Monument in Ulus. This monument was erected in memory of the heroes of the War of Independence under the leadership of the Yeni Gün Newspaper. The statue, commissioned in 1925 from Austrian artist Heinrich Krippel after he won an international competition organized by the Turkish Government, was cast in Vienna at the United Mining Enterprises and placed in front of the Sümerbank General Directorate Building in Ulus on November 24, 1927. It was later relocated to its current position during square expansion works.
Hacı Bayram Mosque, located in Ulus, is one of Ankara’s symbolic landmarks. It was built in 1427. Adjacent to the mosque are the Hacı Bayram Tomb and the Monumentum Ancyranum. Monumentum Ancyranum was constructed in the 1st century BC as a monument of allegiance to Roman Emperor Augustus by King Pylamenes, son of the Galatian ruler Amyntas, on the remains of a temple originally dedicated to Men, the Phrygian Moon God. The Roman Baths of Ankara were built in the 3rd century by Roman Emperor Caracalla, son of Septimius Severus, in honor of Asclepius, the god of health. Although destroyed by a fire in the 8th century, they were restored and continued to be used as baths in the 5th century. The Julian Column stands 4.5 meters high and is believed to have been erected by the Byzantine Emperor Julian the Apostate. It is also known among the public as the Column of Belkıs.