ULUS AND AHI ELVAN MOSQUE

From the ^14th century, with a simple exterior, the mosque is built on irregularly arranged columns topped with capitals of Roman and Byzantine origin and its carved walnut pulpit is remarkable.

A walk around Ulus Meydanı allows to see some meager remains of the Roman period of Ankara (half a day is enough). At Hükümet Meydanı stands the Julian Column (Julyanus Sütunu; Belkız minaresi) erected in 362 in honor of Emperor Julian the Apostate after his visit to the city.

Heading up the hill, after a zigzag, you reach Bayram Caddesi and the Hacıbayram Camii, the most honored mosque in Ankara, built in the ^15th century in honor of Hacı Bayram Veli, a Sufi poet and founder of the Bayram dervish order. Near the mihrab, you can see his mausoleum(türbe), restored in the ^16th and ^18th centuries. Nearby, the remains of the temple of Augustus and Rome, which was successively transformed into a church and a mosque. Outside, on the right wall, note the inscriptions in Greek and Latin. Originally, the Phrygians had dedicated this temple to Cybele. Five hundred meters further on, in Çankırı Caddesi, are the thermal baths (open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission fee). The structure, a classic Roman bath with its different rooms, is clearly visible. They date from the early ^3rd century, but the palaestra next door is less well preserved.