(AA Photo)
Is Ankara a culinary capital? Most people would answer this question with a definitive “No!” But is that really the case? Ankara is often a misinterpreted city, not revealing itself at first glance. You have to be born there or have lived there long enough to understand its hidden values; otherwise, it is quite hard to get a grip on it. Let’s take a preliminary look: Ankara might seem like just another boring governmental city. It is too modern and contemporary, with an overgrown urban landscape of endless buildings. Although it is the second-largest city by population after Istanbul, it may seem to be devoid of history with no regional essence. One might think there is nothing exciting or tempting to explore. In reality, however, it has a deep history dating back to the Bronze Age with multiple layers of civilizations. But above all, the city possesses the history of the modern state of Türkiye. Its transformation from a sleepy, dusty Anatolian town into a modern capital is a unique story involving the stamina, determination and will of a nation to create a new state after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
Contemporary Capital
Today, it is the administrative and political center, being also home to diplomatic circles, making the city very politically charged. The city has leading universities putting the city in an academically important position. Ankara is also the hub of the cultural activities, where the Turkish State Opera and Ballet, the Presidential Symphony Orchestra and Turkish State Theatres were first established. The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations houses an outstanding collection of artifacts from across Anatolia. Interestingly, the city has its own way of dining scene, again, like the city itself, it does not promise much at the first glance, but beneath the surface, there are lots of exciting places to explore.
During a recent “Taste Spot” exploration tour as part of The Türkiye Culture Route Festival, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, we had a chance to scratch the surface and find about different culinary aspects of the city. The Culture Route Festival is held every week in another city of Türkiye, last week it was the turn of the capital, which took place from Sept. 19 to 27. The festival features a wide range of cultural events, including exhibitions, concerts and artisan workshops and also brings forth the culinary assets and explores the leading venues worth visiting, positioning gastronomy as part of the wider cultural experience. But again, in order to understand the contemporary Ankara, we need to delve into its history and go back to the days when the city was declared as the new capital of the newly formed Turkish Republic to see where it all started.
Early republic years
In the early years of the Republic, the primary concern for Members of Parliament arriving in Ankara for the newly established Grand National Assembly was finding places to stay and eat. There was not a single suitable venue where they could meet, talk and socialize beyond simply filling their stomachs. Ankara, newly chosen as the capital, was one of the most rundown cities in Anatolia. Not even the arrival of the railway in 1892 had managed to lift the city out of its gloom. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the nation, had no place to stay, it was the station master’s office at the railway station became his first place of residence. Social life would have to wait for the Ankara Palas, the foundations of which were laid in 1924 and which, after various difficulties, would finally open in 1928. The first genuine restaurant was to be Karpiç, opened in 1934 by Karpovitch, who had come from Soviet Russia. Originally named Şölen, the restaurant broke new ground as a pioneer among licensed venues where women were also welcome. It would soon become the center of Ankara’s social life and come to be known by the name Karpiç, which also became the owner’s nickname.
Wider culinary spectrum
The dining scene soon expanded to other locations with stylish restaurants such as Süreyya, Üç Nal, Washington and RV, among which only Washington survives, now operating under the name Göksu. These were the first steps in creating the modern dining scene, and then the rest followed. There was also a large influx of people from across Anatolia, soon creating a culinary spectrum of Anatolian regional cuisines represented in the city. These are small, modest establishments that try to serve the best they can offer. Additionally, numerous patisseries played a strong role in the culinary development of the city. Ankara’s residents liked to entertain at home, so there were plenty of places to cater to the need for the afternoon tea gatherings popular among women. Today, this spectrum extends to international cuisines: from Chinese to Italian, there are choices for every taste.
The Ankara leg of Culture Route Festival was hosted by MasterChef Türkiye judge, Chef Mehmet Yalçınkaya, who has recently added his signature restaurant, Alaz, to Ankara’s culinary scene. He positioned his culinary story in his restaurant as migratory routes, which strangely fits to the capital. It was the people who migrated to the new capital, to form the newly established state, in a way to rise from the ashes of the once-mighty Ottoman Empire, like a phoenix to fly up to the skies again. Contemporary Ankara may not reveal much about its multi-layered history, but it possesses an unexpectedly diverse and multifaceted culinary life which has its roots in the early republican days of the city. One of our taste spots was Nakia, located atop Atakule with a 360-degree rotating platform displaying a panorama of the modern city extending beyond the horizon. Ankara tells Türkiye’s story and embodies the resilience of its people, who were determined to be the phoenix, to rise from the ashes and create anew.
