Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB) organized a special heritage tour for foreign diplomats serving in Ankara in order to promote the rich history and cultural heritage of the capital in the international arena. Within the scope of this meaningful event, important historical and cultural sites of the capital were visited, from the historical atmosphere of the Roman Theater and Archaeological Park to the unique view of Ankara Castle, from the Seljuk splendor of Aslanhane Mosque to the rich collection of Erimtan Archaeology and Art Museum.
Great Interest from Diplomatic Representatives
The tour hosted by ABB was attended by high-level diplomatic representatives of various countries such as El Salvador’s Ambassador to Ankara Hector Enrique Jaime Calderon, Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Ambassador to Ankara Mirsada Colakovic, Belarus’s Ambassador to Ankara Anatoli Glaz, Malta’s Ambassador to Ankara Marisa Ferrugia, and Panama’s Ambassador to Ankara Karina Arias Fonseca. In addition, experienced former Turkish Ambassadors Sibel Algan and Akın Algan, Miray Akdağ from the European Union Commission Ankara Representation, Danny Perkasa, Counselor of the Indonesian Embassy, and Mario Alberto Julio, Economic Counselor of the Panamanian Embassy were also in the delegation. ABB Cultural and Natural Heritage Department Presidency Project Coordinator Bekir Ödemiş, Ankara City Council (AKK) Diplomatic Assembly President Ambassador Metin Kılıç, and esteemed members of the Diplomatic Assembly Engin Öktem, Serenad Altan, and Serkan Mergen also accompanied the delegation throughout the tour and provided briefings.
Full Marks from Ambassadors to the Historical City Center
Diplomats, who had the opportunity to examine the deep-rooted cultural values of Ankara on site, came together at a pleasant coffee break at the Erimtan Archaeology and Art Museum after the tour program and shared their impressions and thoughts about the trip. In this friendly atmosphere, Ankara's historical depth and cultural richness were emphasized once again.
Bekir Ödemiş, ABB Cultural and Natural Heritage Department Project Coordinator, drew attention to the importance of the event and said, “As ABB, we are hosting our valuable Ambassadors serving in Ankara in the Historical City Center, especially in the Roman Theater and Archaeological Park area. Thanks to this meaningful cooperation we have established with the Ankara City Council Diplomacy Assembly, we aimed to make the rich historical and cultural heritage of Ankara more familiar to the foreign missions living here. We also visited Ankara Castle as part of our trip. The inclusion of our Aslanhane Mosque in the UNESCO definitive list has once again shown how important such cultural values are in the international arena. Because foreign representatives especially want to see places included in UNESCO.”
Ankara's Hidden Treasures Introduced to Diplomats
Ambassador Metin Kılıç, the President of the AKK Diplomatic Council, stated that diplomats living in Ankara generally reside in certain centers of the city and spend their weekends in the more popular touristic areas of Türkiye, and therefore they do not have the opportunity to fully get to know Ankara. Ambassador Kılıç said, “However, there are many values around Ankara that may interest them. Such as Polatlı, where the Gordion Ancient City is located, Beypazarı, famous for its historical texture, Güdül, which stands out with its natural beauties… There are also many historical and cultural places in the city center that they do not always see, or perhaps never will. In this special tour, we toured important points starting from the Roman Theater to Ankara Castle and the historical Aslanhane Mosque in order to show the diplomats how the cultural heritage in Ankara is carefully preserved and protected. A diplomat working in Ankara usually knows Ankara Castle because they visit here when official delegations come. Therefore, almost everyone knows the Inner Castle, but they usually do not know details such as the authentic structures inside the Inner Castle, restored areas and which period the structures belong to. This is exactly the information they acquired on this trip. “With this special visit, we had the opportunity to show them the hidden treasures that make up Ankara’s rich cultural heritage, which they would not normally be able to visit or see,” he said. This meaningful event made a significant contribution to the better promotion of Ankara’s historical and cultural riches on the international platform.
