"Ankara or Istanbul is the capital of Turkey?" - many foreign tourists ask themselves. And they are very surprised when they hear that main city located somewhere in the northwest of the country. What makes people think that the capital is Istanbul? Probably the sensational series "The Magnificent Century", an epic that narrated about the twists and turns in the family of Suleiman Qanuni (the Just). Yes, the city on the Golden Horn was the capital. And, by the way, not only during the time of the sultans. And Ankara? Is it a "new building" like, say, the Kazakh capital Astana? Read about the twists and turns of the fate of the two cities in this article.
Founding of Istanbul
The honor of laying the "first stone" in the city belongs to the Greek colonists. In 658 BC. e. they came from Megara and established a settlement on a small island between the Sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn. They named their city after their leader Byzantium. Profitable geographical position, which made it possible to control the passage of ships from to Chernoe and back, contributed to the enrichment of residents, the development of crafts and trade. The city of Byzantium, the future capital of Turkey, Istanbul, quickly became one of the main Greek cities. In 74 BC. e. Asia Minor was conquered by Rome. The city, whose territory had long stretched far beyond the original islet, continued to flourish. But the invasion of the barbarians, which marked the beginning of the end of the Roman Empire, shook the prosperity of the inhabitants of Byzantium. By the third century AD, the city fell into decay.
Antique Ankara
If you ask which city is ancient - Byzantium or Angira (this is the former name of the capital of Turkey), then it should be admitted that both modern metropolises arose at about the same time, in the 7th century BC, but Ankara has something to plug Istanbul into its belt ... Not far from it is the unique Neolithic city of Chatal Huyuk. And on the territory of modern Ankara in the 11th century (long before the arrival of the Greek colonists) there was a fortress, which was one of the links in the Hittite civilization's defensive chain. Interestingly, the Greek name "Angira" is translated as "anchor". Where does such a ship's symbol come from in a city far from the seas? Angira lay at the crossroads of many roads connecting Asia Minor with Europe and Africa. Because of advantageous position the city was constantly being attacked. It was owned by the Persians, Phrygians, Celts. The Roman conquest gave a special impetus to economic development. Emperor Augustus built his summer residence here. In Angira, as in ancient Byzantium, there were such benefits of civilization as sewerage, water supply, street lighting, the fire service and the police were keeping order.
Decline times
The eastern part of the vast Roman Empire suffered less from the invasion of the barbarians than the western one. Therefore, a native of Trier (modern Germany) Constantine the Great decided in 324 to move the capital of his state to Byzantium. In order for the city, which had come into some decline, to correspond to the metropolitan standards, the emperor started a large-scale construction. He introduced for potential settlers - artisans and merchants. For six years, the area of the city has increased several times. It was, of course, smaller than modern Ankara or Istanbul. The capital of Turkey at that time was small town... But Byzantium, which Constantine renamed New Rome, flourished. The emperor really wanted his capital to be overshadowed by its luxury The eternal City... In addition to benefits for entrepreneurs, he distributed bread, olive oil and fuel from the treasury to those in need. Sculptors and painters, architects and clergymen were invited to New Rome from Athens, Ephesus, Rome and Corinth.
Times of Byzantium
The name did not catch on, and after the death of the emperor, the city was renamed Constantinople. It was a real metropolis from the early Middle Ages. The relics of the main saints were brought here, majestic temples, baths, cisterns, and a hippodrome were built. The city, given under the patronage of the Mother of God, had several commercial and military ports. After the final collapse of the Roman Empire, Constantinople became the capital of the new state - Byzantium. This powerful state, headed by the Basileusses, extended much further than today's Turkey. The capital (the map clearly demonstrates this) was then almost in the center of the country. The spiritual influence of Byzantium extended even further. The religion of the Slavic peoples came to us from there. And also the alphabet - Cyrillic. But Constantinople too (as the Slavs called Constantinople) became the object of military campaigns. The kings of the West, crusaders, Slavs, Huns, Persians, Avars, Arabs and Pechenegs dreamed of mastering it.
Ankara during Byzantium
Luxury and shine great empire albeit indirectly, they also affected the eastern neighbor of Constantinople - the modest Angira. The most important highway to the East, to Asia, passed through this city. Arabs and crusaders fought for control of the Silk Road. With the weakening of the Byzantine Empire, Ankara - the capital of Turkey in the future - came into the possession of the Seljuks. This happened after the Battle of Malazgit in 1073. Under the Seljuks, the city did not fall into decay. But then the Ottomans appeared on the historical arena. At the beginning of the 15th century, their troops under the leadership of Sultan Bayazid I fought in the Angora battle with the army of Timur. The city and its surroundings were badly damaged. True, the troops of the Sultan in this battle were defeated, and he himself was taken prisoner.
Magnificent century
561 years ago, on May 29, 1453, Constantinople was taken by the army of Mehmed II Fatih (Conqueror). Constantine XI Palaeologus, the last basileus, died in battle. Thus ended the more than 1,100-year history of the Byzantine Empire. Constantinople was renamed Istanbul. "The Brilliant Porta" (as the contemporaries called the Ottoman Empire of the Turks), having inherited such economic potential, became one of the prominent players in the political arena of the world. Mehmed Fatih was not faced with the question - Ankara or Istanbul. The Ottoman capital of Turkey was supposed to captivate the imagination of foreign ambassadors with luxury and unprecedented scope. It is here that grandiose mosques are built and, of course, sultan's palace Topkapi.
Ankara during the Ottoman Empire
The current capital of Turkey, even before the fall of Constantinople, went first to the Seljuks, and then to the Ottomans. This city on the Anatolian Highlands has long been accustomed to the life of a border outpost. From the 6th to the 9th century (even under the Byzantine Basileus), a citadel with a double ring of defensive walls was built in the city. The capital of Turkey, Istanbul, was connected with Ankara by a trade route. Consequently, the provincial city was still not a backwater. Mosques are being built here - some directly on the basis of Christian churches, which, in turn, were erected on the site of pagan temples. The oldest Muslim building in Ankara is the Hajibayram Mosque, built in the 15th century on the ruins of the Temple of Augustine and Roma. This iconic building is still performing its functions. Inside is the tomb of Haji Bairam, a saint and founder who died in 1430.
Ankara - the capital of Turkey
In the 18-19th centuries, weakened by constant wars, it fell into decay. Even in World War I, Turkey decided to support Germany - and as a result shared the bitterness of defeat with her. Therefore, in 1918, Istanbul was occupied by the armies of France, Great Britain and Greece. But soon after the struggle for independence, the world recognized Turkey's sovereignty. In 1923, the leader proclaimed the overthrow of the monarchy and the formation of the Republic. He wanted to distance himself as much as possible from the "sultan" Istanbul, especially since there were many supporters of the old regime there. In addition, Ataturk wanted to move the capital away from the "line of military operations." Ankara was not chosen by chance. This city was in relative proximity to Istanbul, moreover, it was associated with it railway line... But new capital Turkey (the photos of those years are eloquent evidence of this) was a complete backwater. There was no running water, lighting or sewerage in the city. The ambassadors sarcastically mentioned that donkeys are tied to the latticed window of the country's Foreign Ministry.
Capital of Turkey now
Ataturk invested a lot in the improvement and development of the city. Now it is a multi-million dollar metropolis. The main attraction of Ankara is the mausoleum of the people's leader Ataturk. Near newest buildings here are narrow medieval streets and old mosques. But numerous embassies and government buildings dispel any doubts about which city - Ankara or Istanbul - the capital of Turkey.
In my opinion, many consider it to be the capital of Turkey, but this is far from the case. Simply - this is one of the most major cities Turkey, where infrastructure and industry are well developed, this city is considered cultural center Turkey. And in terms of population, it ranks first in the country. And already - the capital of Turkey, ranks second. Well, historically it so happened that it was Ankara that became the capital of Turkey, it was moved to this city. Going deeper in more detail when answering this question, you can find the truth, you just need to know a few historical facts. Let's take a look at them.
Facts from history
Once upon a time, when the Byzantine Empire still existed, the capital of present-day Turkey was Constantinople, but during the fall of this empire, a new Ottoman Empire was founded. Everything changed: laws, statutes, even cities were renamed. So Constantinople was renamed to the capital of the Ottoman Empire - Istanbul, one of the largest cities with its own port. Later, namely in the 20s of the twentieth century, when the Ottoman Empire fell, Mustafa Kemal proclaimed about the creation of a new Turkish Republic, the capital of which was the city... To this day, it is the capital of Turkey, but simply one of the largest resort and tourist cities in this country.
That is why Istanbul did not become the capital of Turkey. But this does not prevent him from further developing dynamically. The city today thrives on tourists and a well-developed resort business.
Konya is one of oldest cities on the territory of Turkey. People began to settle here as early as 4 thousand BC, and in Chatal Huyuk, which is located nearby, even in 7.5 thousand BC. The city existed under the Hittites, Phrygians, Greeks and Romans. The Greco-Roman Iconium is mentioned in the New Testament; the apostles Paul and Barnabas preached here. According to legend, the Christian saint Paraskeva-Friday was born here.
In the 11th century, Iconium was captured by the Seljuk Turks, and it received a new name - Konya. In the 12-13th centuries, Konya was the capital of the Rum (Seljuk) Sultanate. The city became the main cultural center of the Seljuk state. Here lived Jalaladdin Rumi, a poet and Sufi mystic, the founder of the Mevlevi order of dervishes. In this regard, Konya is still the largest Islamic religious center.
Alaadin Keykubad Mosque (12th century) The oldest mosque in Konya, in its courtyard there is a mausoleum-burial vault of the Seljuk sultans. It has a hipped roof, typical of the Seljuk mausoleums.
I arrived in Konya from the resort of Alanya. The ride there is not very long - less than 5 hours. To get from the coast to the interior of Turkey, where Konya is located, the bus needs to cross the Taurus ridge. Snow can lie there even in summer.
View of the Taurus ridge from the north. After the mountain serpentines, the bus descends to the plain and makes a stop. Here you can evaluate the distance traveled.
The area in the Konya region resembles Central Asia. That is why the Seljuks chose it as their capital. In addition, the Konya region is an all-Turkish granary; it is a very fertile land.
Life here is unhurried, like in any provincial town... Although the population here is decent - more than a million people.
It is believed that Konya is a very conservative and religious city, but it seemed to me that it was somewhat far-fetched. Konya is certainly not a resort, but I did not notice any special religious fundamentalism, as they write in many guidebooks.
I stayed in a small hotel next to the Sharafeddin Mosque. There are many cheap hotels in the city, all of them are located near the Mevlana complex - the main center of tourist and religious pilgrimage in Konya. I bargained for a small room with breakfast included for 30 liras, it is worth noting that food in local locales is also inexpensive, I dined for only 6 liras.
Below, Sharafeddin's mausoleum, combined with a mosque. There are many such tent-roofed mausoleums in the city. All of them are built of bricks, with the exception of the stone mausoleums in the former citadel of Konya, on the Alaaddin hill. 
The Great Mosque or the Ala ad-Din Mosque in the former citadel. 
Unfortunately, now Konya has lost all of its once numerous defensive structures. Neither the outer walls nor the walls of the Citadel remained. It is interesting that European travelers saw the walls of Konya almost in full volume back in the 19th century. Several drawings of the Seljuk fortification have survived. But then all the walls magically disappeared, and in a short time - by the beginning of the 20th century, almost nothing remained.
Konya Citadel Hill at the end of the 19th century. In front of the mosque, a lonely standing tower is visible - this is all that remains of the palace of the Seljuk sultans. 
Of course, the city was subjected to earthquakes, which destroyed a lot, but it should be noted that earthquakes in Asia Minor have always been. The only conclusion that follows from this is that the Turks themselves destroyed all the fortifications and the remains of other medieval buildings. An interesting paradox manifests itself here - the Turks completely destroyed their own heritage, destroying Konya - their old capital in Asia Minor, but preserved, for example, the Byzantine walls of Constantinople ...
It is worth noting that the walls of the Citadel in Konya, located on a hill, did not interfere with anyone, and now there is no building there - just a city park remained. Why they did this is unclear.
The Great Mosque is the only surviving structure on the Citadel hill. Before her, Byzantine buildings were located here, which were partly part of the mosque.
The mosque was built by many Seljuk sultans in several stages. Therefore, now inside it is a "dream of a mad architect" - it is an almost chaotic accumulation of walls, columns and pillars. Everything is of different sizes, floors and ceilings at different levels, the prayer hall is now narrowing, now expanding. It can be seen that initially there was no clear plan - each sultan built something of his own ..
Chief mihrab of the Great Mosque of Konya. 
There are two mausoleums in the courtyard of the Great Mosque. The one with a conical roof served as the main tomb for the sultans of Rum. It is still unknown who was buried in the neighboring one.
The actual burial vault is the basement, this is the lower door in the photo. Upstairs there was a prayer room, where there were just gravestones.
The Turbe-mausoleum, which became the burial place of the Seljuk sultans, was originally built for Sultan Kalych Arslan II in 1188 by master Yusof ibn Abdul Ghaffar.
It is worth noting here that Turkish architecture has rendered big influence on the structures of the Golden Horde. The Mongols borrowed hipped roofs from the Seljuks. In the Middle Ages, similar tower hipped-roof mausoleums stood in the hundreds along the Volga, but now in Russia there is only one such mausoleum in Bulgar.
The very origin of tent buildings in Asia is covered with fog. Different versions are being expressed. Turks like to say that the shape of such mausoleums comes from the Turkic nomadic yurt. Looking at the Kalych Arslan mausoleum, this is unlikely to come to mind, it is very high for a yurt. There is an opinion about the Armenian origin of these structures, since in their form the Turkic mausoleums are similar to bell towers and the heads of Armenian churches, and they were often built by Armenian craftsmen. The "Persian" version also looks plausible - the Turks borrowed the shape of their burials from the Zoroastrians Central Asia and Iran .. In general, this secret is great :)
Burial of eight Seljuk sultans in the Great Mosque, among them is Ala ad-Din Keykubad I - the most famous Seljuk ruler who gave his name to this mosque and resort town Alanya. 
The outer walls of the mosque, as always, are a "fortress within a fortress" .. 
Stones from Byzantine buildings were used for the construction of the mosque. 
This piece of the wall is all that remains of the palace of the Rum sultans. The Turks hid it under an intricate roof.
Madrasah Inje Minare (1264). Now it houses a stone carving museum. About him, as well as about other museums in Konya, I will make separate posts. 
The façade of Ince Minare is one of the masterpieces of the Seljuk "Baroque". 
Madrasah Karatay (1251). Now it houses a museum of ceramics. 
A small mausoleum next to the Karatay madrasah. 
Streets of Konya. 
The second oldest mosque in Konya is Iplikchi Jami, it was built in 1202. According to legend, Mevlana himself, Jalaladdin Rumi, was engaged in meditation in it. 
This gloomy brick building is somewhat reminiscent of a Byzantine basilica. 
Selimiye Ottoman Mosque, it is located next to the Mevlana complex. 
Iskhak Pasha's mausoleum 
Late Ottoman Mosque Aziziye Jami. 
Mausoleum of 1421 inside a residential area. 
The portal of the Sahip Ata Kyulliesi mosque (1258). Once this portal was decorated with two minarets on both sides. 
Sahip Ata is one of the oldest wooden mosques in Turkey. 
Another tent-roofed mausoleum that belonged to the vizier of Sultan Keykubad (1239) 
In the background is a huge modern mosque .. 
To be continued....
My other posts are about Turkey.
Turkey
General information
Turkey is one of the few, whose territory lies in two parts of the world. The main part of the country is located in Southwest Asia (region - Middle East). Western regions are located in Europe - Eastern Thrace. The length of the country from west to east is 1600 km, from north to south - 550 km.
The area of the country is 780 thousand square meters. km., population - 67 803 thousand.
The capital of the Republic of Turkey is Ankara.
According to the constitution, Turkey is a presidential republic. The head of government is the prime minister, appointed by the president.
Administratively, the country is divided into vilayets, or silts, which in turn are divided into ilche, and those into bujaks. The lowest unit is the mukhtarlyk, which includes one or several villages.
Turkey is a country with an ancient history. A variety of civilizations have left their mark here: ancient Greek and Roman, Byzantine and Arab.
Turkey has a unique geographical position: at the junction of Europe and Asia. The main territory of the country is located on the peninsula of Asia Minor (Anatolia). Between 41 and 35 parallels.
From the north, the country is washed by the waters of the Black Sea, from the south and west - by the Mediterranean and Aegean. The country borders on Greece and Bulgaria; in the east - with Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia; in the southeast - with Syria and Iraq.
Turkey has unique opportunities for recreation - it is a recognized world tourist center.
Getting to know Turkey
For those who are preparing for a vacation in Turkey, or are going to make independent travel to this country, the information on these pages will be interesting and useful.
To view more detailed information about the country (for the aspects you are interested in - nature, weather, population, addresses of embassies, currency ...) use the left column of the menu of our site.
Using the catalog of hotels in the cities of Turkey, (menu items Tourist centers and Attractions), you can book a room in the place you like directly through our website.
For a more visual perception of information about Turkey on the site there is a Photogallery of the country.
So, let's go to Turkey!
Quite a popular question about Turkey, with which we will help you figure it out
Most of the tourists who have visited Turkish resorts are still in the dark, and do not know that the real capital of Turkey is Ankara. At the same time, many are confident that Istanbul is the main city in all of Turkey and is its capital, and naturally they do not even know why Istanbul is not the capital of Turkey. This is a common misconception and can be easily dispelled. historical facts about these two cities.
Was Istanbul the capital of Turkey?
There is a clear answer to the rather popular question why Istanbul is not the capital of Turkey, if we turn to history. Formerly known as Constantinople, Istanbul was erected on the coast of the Marmara and the Black Sea, for this reason, during the Ottoman Empire, the delivery of troops for the siege was simple, both from land and from the sea, this was used in 1883 by the Egyptian troops, together with the fleet of the Russian Empire. ... It was the last one to put an end to the Ottoman Empire. A few years later, in the period from 1919-23, the headquarters of the then leader of the liberation movement Kemal Ataturk was located in the city of Ankara, who shaped Turkey as we see it today. For this reason, in September 1923, Ankara acquired the status of the capital of Turkey. This decision was made for many factors: at that time, the former capital of Turkey, Istanbul, was dangerously close to hot spots and centers of political conflicts - the straits, and the Balkans, for example. Such conditions were too dangerous for the young state. Also, an important role was played by the fact that a more liberal government was based in Ankara, in contrast to the Istanbul conservatives.
Capital of Turkey Ankara or Istanbul
Despite the fact that Ankara is the second largest city in Turkey, the city still has ancient history dating back to the 7th century BC. The city is located on the plateau of Antalya without access to the sea, because of this, a relatively small number of tourists visit it, in contrast to seaside resorts... Until the twentieth century, Ankara could hardly be called a large metropolis - only 60 thousand people lived there. Today the city's population has exceeded five million, with universities, ministries, embassies and museums erected. First of all, the city attracts tourists with its enchanting architecture.
