Ankara

If you know anything about me, you know that I like History, Politics, Running, and Family. This is why I love Ankara. When Ataturk first came to Ankara in 1920, the city consisted of approximately 65,000 poor Turkish peasants. The city had no history and an even bleaker future. Ataturk had come to town looking for an isolated place far away from Allied occupied Istanbul and Greek influenced Izmir to implement his vision for the future of Turkey. Ankara fit the bill. 90 years later, Ataturk's cultural revolution has transformed Ankara into a burgeoning metropolis larger than the City of Los Angeles. Yet Ataturk did more than make Ankara the capital and attract lots of people here; he transformed it into a global capital that seems custom built for my personal enjoyment. Maybe that is why I like Ataturk so much.

History:
One of the chief criticisms of Ankara as a city is that it lacks history. History is important to me so I was prepared for Ankara to be a disappointing collection of faded apartment complexes. It is true that Ankara is home to only a few ruined Roman buildings and one Selcuk castle on top of a hill. However, almost the entire history of the Turkish Republic is contained inside the city limits of Ankara. If you can't find history here, it just means you aren't looking hard enough. The architecture of the city tells a story in itself. The bustling city center is dotted with beautiful Neo-Ottoman buildings, evidence of early republican ties to the glory of the Ottoman period. To understand Modern Turkey, one must understand Ataturk and Ataturk's mausoleum (pictured above) is packed with artifacts and information not to mention his sarcophagus. It is true that a Roman historian would be bored to tears in this town, but my interests are not that exclusive.

Running:
Ankara is a runner's paradise. The city is centered in a wide valley and extends up the gentle slopes to amber hillsides dotted with green pines. There are plenty of steep inclines to train on and long stretches of flat sidewalk perfect for a long jog. The streets are wide, the sidewalks are clear, and everything is shaded by leafy green deciduous trees. About 500 meters up the road from where I am staying the sidewalk transforms into a 3-lane running track paved with soft rubber. There is also a huge forest-park with wide trails running along a steep ridge overlooking a picturesque lake and a valley (see the picture from my last post). I am told that there is a six-mile trail that encircles the lake, but I have not had the time to explore it. The entire countryside is just begging to be explored. Long roads into the hills make for perfect bike riding and hiking. Ankara sits at 4000 feet, allowing for some mild altitude training. Additionally the weather is ideal for the exercise-enthused. Mornings are cool and clear and afternoons warm up to no hotter than 85 degrees. The only thing that would make this city more runner-philic would be a government subsidy on New Balance shoes.

Politics:
Being the capital of Turkey, Ankara is a predisposed to being a political town. But Turkey's capital is very different than what you would expect to see in a capital. In Washington D.C., the big political sights are the capital building and the White House. In Ankara, the Parliament building and the Presidential compound exist, but they are not nearly as symbolic or as presumptuous as their American counterparts and they are certainly not open to the casual tourist. The American Embassy in Turkey is located just 100 meters away from the Parliament and is undoubtedly one of the ugliest embassies in the city. Thankfully it is mostly hidden from view behind steel bars, opaque screening, and enough security personnel to occupy Paris. It reminds me allot of the Xavier University Alumni Center, which was originally built as a Coca-Cola bottling plant and was saved from demolition only because some crazy nut had it declared a historical monument. Many of the other embassies in Ankara are quite impressive and are spread out all over the west side of the city. The embassy for the United Arab Emirates is about 200 meters down the road from where I am staying and the Dutch Embassy is located on "Hollanda Caddesi" (Holland Street) just a few minutes drive away. The Swedish and German Embassies are look like grand French Chateaus and are surrounded by meticulously maintained gardens. Some Arab country with more oil money than it knows what to do with has prominently displayed its oriental monstrosity of an embassy on the side of a hill on the outside of town. Turkey is the preeminent regional power in the Eastern Mediterranean and the movers and shakers of the world descend upon Ankara to make policy. Obama was here earlier this year as well as the presidents of Brazil, Portugal, and Singapore. Ankara is the center of the action.

Family:
Over the past three days I have been inducted into the Krause family clan. I have been staying at their comfortable flat on the outside of Ankara with their five energetic boys and granny who is in town on a visit. Julie Krause has been taking granny and I around to see the sights of Ankara in the mornings and the afternoons are spent running around and playing with the boys. Yesterday we packed them all in the fun bus and went down to the ambassador's residence to swim in the pool. Once the security guard had screened our car for explosive devices we descended on the peaceful pool like basketball fans rushing the court. The boys are tons of fun to play with. I have participated in long games of keep away in the pool and Hero Scape in the middle of the living room floor. Last night the boys invited me to sleep over in their room and I stayed up late telling battle stories from Byzantine History. The whole operation is a beautiful exercises in organized chaos. Leaving Ankara is going to be harder than leaving any other city beacuse I will not only be leaving an exciting city environment, but also a loving family unit that I have been bleesed to be adopted by.

Today is my last day in town. Tonight there is a happy hour/Barbecue down at the embassy that the Krauses have invited me to. It will be good socialize with some of the embassy staff and military personnel here in Turkey. I have already gone on a lunch date with some of the embassy staff and collected some good career advice about how to get a job at the Embassy here after the Peace Corps. It goes without saying that I like this city, perhaps better than any other city in Turkey. Ataturk did good work here.