Life in the century-old Ankara Castle
ANKARA
The life inside the walls of the Ankara Castle, one of the important symbols of the Turkish capital, takes visitors on a journey into history while keeping the neighborhood culture alive for those living there.
People who have lived in the castle for generations shared their experiences of life right next to a historic structure.
It is not certain when the castle was built, but it is estimated that it was built between 33 and 476 B.C., and hosted different civilizations for centuries. The castle, which served as a military base, ammunition depot and observation center by the states that dominated the area in the past, stands out as one of the most touristic places in Ankara today.
The squares that served as trade centers in the past under the names Atpazarı (horse market), Samanpazarı (straw market) and Koyunpazarı (sheep market) draw attention as a tourist center today.
Those living in the Ankara Houses, made of wood, adobe and brick in different periods in the section within the city walls continue their daily lives next to Ankara Castle.
Local and foreign tourists who visit the castle can see the children playing on the streets of İçkale, people doing their daily work in front of their houses and the tradesmen.
Filiz İlhan, 58, who moved to the Kaleiçi neighborhood when she was two years old, has been living in the castle for 56 years. Stating that her father brought them there because it was close to his workplace, İlhan spends most of the day in the castle. Expressing that she had a beautiful childhood on the historic streets, İlhan noted that the only difficulties of living in the castle were the high hill and transportation problems.
Another resident Hüseyin Demir, 59, who has been running a market in the Kaleiçi neighborhood for 35 years, stated that he felt happy to run a shop in the Kaleiçi neighborhood.
“It is good to work here as a tradesman. We know our surroundings well in the neighborhood. Sometimes foreign tourists come and sometimes locals come. We are generally happy here. People mostly like this place very much. But some of them, who come here with different expectations, don’t like this place.”
Stating that the population of the castle was more crowded in the past, Demir said, “It was a nice neighborhood and was more crowded. There were many people and residents. There aren't many people left now, there is an ongoing renovation and this place is getting even more beautiful. I think it will attract more tourists soon. A population of nearly 2,000 in the past has dropped to maybe 500 in the castle. There were schools but they were closed. People left to live in better places. I feel like I am in the past. When I say Ankara, the first thing that comes to my mind is a castle. I came from my hometown and I have always lived in this castle. We visit our relatives but we are mostly in the castle.”
‘Most people left’
Ali Seydi İlhan, who has been living in the castle for 40 years, said, “Life inside the castle is good, there is no problem. The neighborhood is not the same anymore, most of the people left. Children had school life here. After the schools were closed here, people left because they had to. The castle is not the same as before. But we love this place, ours is a detached house and comfortable. We are more independent.”
Emine Genç, who has been making a living by selling her own handmade products for 33 years, said that more people used to live in the castle. Genç said that the buildings that used to be houses are now used as workplaces.
“Neighborhood used to be great. We didn’t even lock our doors. I used to go to work and the neighbors used to look after my child. Everyone knew each other, everyone trusted each other. Now there's nothing left. It's not very healthy to live here. People always say, 'How lucky you are,' but it's not. If there's a toilet, there's no bathroom, if there's a bathroom, there's no kitchen. It's not very healthy. I bought my house here in 1999, but I have been getting it repaired ever since. It costs a lot of money. We don't want to go but we spent too much money on the house here. They don't let us do something because it's a protected area.”