Historical Ulus City Center is Reviving

Continuing its efforts to revitalize the historical Ulus City Center, Ankara Metropolitan Municipality has completed 70 percent of the construction of the "Ulus Cultural Center and Covered Dolmus Stops", which started in the Hacı Bayram District area. In the cultural center built on a plot of approximately 20 thousand square meters; In addition to art galleries, cafes, commercial areas and Başkent Market, there will be a Museum for the Visually Impaired, which is the first. In addition, the survey, restitution and restoration works have been started for the registered foundation work of the Hamidiye Mosque in the same neighborhood.

Ankara Metropolitan Municipality continues to sign projects that will bring the history of the Capital to the surface.

70 percent of the construction work of the "Ulus Cultural Center and Covered Dolmus Stations" project, which is located in Ulus Historical City Center and started in the Hacı Bayram District of Altındağ district, has been completed.

Stating that they want to pedestrianize Ulus, especially the Kale region, Head of Cultural and Natural Heritage Department Bekir Ödemiş said, “The Ulus Cultural Center and Closed Dolmus Stations project is around 20 thousand square meters on a 100 thousand square meter plot in the area where it is located. When it is finished, we will have all of the Keçiören and Mamak north and east minibuses in the underground garage here. We have completed 70% of the project. We will have completed all of them in 2023," he said.

Pointing out that there will be Keçiören and Mamak minibuses on the 2nd floor of the project, Ödemiş said, “It has a capacity of 330 minibuses. On another floor, there will be a civilian car park with a capacity of 270 vehicles. There is also an open parking lot. This project is not just a minibus stop and a closed stop. It will include art galleries, cafes, commercial areas, Başkent Market and a cafeteria," he said.

IT WILL BE A FIRST IN TURKEY

Within the scope of the cooperation protocol signed between ABB Cultural and Natural Heritage Department, Hacettepe University and Anatolian Civilizations Museum, Turkey's first “Visually Impaired Museum” will also be held. The works in the museum will consist of distinguished works exhibited in various museums in Turkey.

Project; It will be a first in Turkey in terms of preventing the difficulties in accessing information for the visually impaired, creating a social memory in terms of culture and improving the understanding of museums for everyone.

Bekir Ödemiş said the following about the project, which was also supported by TÜBİTAK:

“We also want to make this place the center of public art. An important project in terms of art and cultural activities… After the minibuses leave, we have an area of ​​approximately 15 thousand square meters in the area where the minibuses are located. We have prepared the green area project of that place.”

HAMİDİYE MOSQUE IS RISING AGAIN

In cooperation with the ABB and the General Directorate of Foundations, the survey, restitution and restoration works have been started in order to make the exact replica of the historical “Hamidiye Mosque” built in the 19th century, which is a registered foundation work in the Hacı Bayram Veli District, and to bring it back to the history of the Capital. Ödemiş talked about the historical Hamidiye Mosque, the construction of which was started, as follows:

“The Hamidiye Mosque is an important registered foundation work. When we consider it in terms of architectural style and construction technique, we can say that it belongs to the period of Abdulhamid II in the 19th century. When we look at the history of the region, we know that our immigrant citizens from Bulgaria and Romania were settled in the area where the Hamidiye Mosque is located between 2 and 1875. It was built to meet the worship needs of our Turkish and Muslim citizens. But over time, the mosque was worn out. As Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, we took on the project and implementation responsibility of the mosque as a result of a protocol we signed with the General Directorate of Foundations. Projects have been prepared, but it has been seen that it does not seem very possible to repair and restore, both by the conservation committee and by us who made the project. That's why it passed the board as a reconstruction. We will remake it in its original form, just like it is. The projects have been approved and we have completed the tender process. Its construction has begun. We are planning to open the mosque in 1876. We think that it will take its place in the history of Ankara as an important work that will meet the worship needs of this region in particular.”