2020-10-13 Tue

Ankara, formerly known as Angora, city, capital of Turkey, situated in the northwestern part of the country.

Following the Ottoman defeat in World War I, the Ottoman capital Constantinople (modern Istanbul) and much of Anatolia were occupied by the Allies, who planned to share these lands between Armenia, France, Greece, Italy and the United Kingdom, leaving for the Turks the core piece of land in central Anatolia.

In response, the leader of the Turkish nationalist movement, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, established the headquarters of his resistance movement in Angora in 1920. After the Turkish War of Independence was won and the Treaty of Sevres was superseded by the Treaty of Lausanne (1923), the Turkish nationalists replaced the Ottoman Empire with the Republic of Turkey on 29 October 1923. A few days earlier, Angora had officially replaced Constantinople as the new Turkish capital city, on 13 October 1923, and Republican officials declared that the city's name is Ankara.

The architecture of the present-day city reflects its varied history. Remains from the Roman era include a bath, the Column of Julian, and the Temple of Roma and Augustus. Various Ottoman buildings and The Square Alaeddin Mosque, with one minaret, is located near the walled citadel and dates from the Seljuq era.

One of the beautiful architecture, The Column of Julian depicted on a stamp issued by Turkey Postal Department in 1963. It was erected in honour of the Roman emperor Julian the Apostate's visit to Ancyra.

Image Source: colnect.com