Ankara is Turkey's capital and second city — but it is also one of the least-explored urbex destinations in the country, its derelict heritage overshadowed by the dramatic ruins of Istanbul and Cappadocia. Yet the city carries layers that reward the patient explorer: a hilltop citadel whose Byzantine and Ottoman layers of construction are now partially abandoned in their upper sections; an early Republican urban fabric where the idealism of Atatürk's planned capital has left specific pockets of dereliction; and on the city's western edge, the Atatürk Forest Farm — a vast agricultural and industrial complex established by Atatürk himself in 1925 that now has peripheral buildings of remarkable historical character standing disused. Discover the 5 best abandoned places in Ankara, selected from our Turkey Urbex Map — 200+ verified GPS locations across Turkey and Cyprus.
Why Ankara Offers a Distinct and Underexplored Urbex Experience
Unlike Istanbul's cosmopolitan heritage or Izmir's Greek and Jewish architectural legacy, Ankara's abandoned landscape is defined by a specifically Turkish republican narrative — the city built almost from scratch as a capital after 1923, whose early Republican infrastructure is now aged enough to have entered dereliction in places. The combination of a Byzantine-Ottoman hilltop citadel, early Republican modernist buildings and the specific political history of Turkey's planned capital creates an urbex landscape found nowhere else in the country.
1. Ankara Citadel (Ankara Kalesi) Upper Sections – Ulus District — Byzantine-Ottoman Hilltop Fortress, Inhabited Village Within the Walls, Derelict Upper Towers & Ramparts (Known Location)
Rising above the old city of Ankara, the Ankara Kalesi is one of the most intact Byzantine-Ottoman fortress complexes in central Turkey — a hilltop citadel whose inner walls shelter a surviving neighbourhood of traditional Ottoman houses while the outer ramparts and upper tower sections stand in various states of dereliction. The specific layering of Byzantine masonry, Ottoman repair and Republican-era neglect creates a military heritage of unusual depth. The citadel's upper towers — beyond the inhabited inner village — offer derelict architectural spaces with panoramic views over modern Ankara below. An Atlas Obscura list identifies the citadel complex as among the notable heritage sites of Turkey's capital.
2. Atatürk Forest Farm (Atatürk Orman Çiftliği) Peripheral Buildings – West Ankara — Founded 1925 by Atatürk, Agricultural & Industrial Complex, Disused Peripheral Structures, Republican Heritage (Known Location)
Established by Atatürk in 1925 as a model farm and agricultural research facility on the western outskirts of Ankara, the Atatürk Forest Farm was intended to demonstrate modern agricultural techniques to the new republic's population. The main farm complex remains partially active as a heritage site and park, but the peripheral industrial and processing buildings — distilleries, storage facilities, workers' housing from the early Republican era — stand in various states of disuse at the margins of the active areas. The early Republican architectural character of these peripheral structures — functional modernism built when the Turkish republic was barely two years old — creates a specifically Ankara urbex experience of enormous historical resonance.
🔗 Also read: Top 5 Abandoned Places in Turkey →
3. Ulus Old Quarter Derelict Buildings – Ankara City Centre — Pre-Republican Ottoman Urban Fabric, Post-Capital-Move Neglect, Carved Timber Houses, Cobbled Streets
Ulus — the original commercial heart of Ankara before the capital was moved here in 1923 — retains pockets of pre-Republican Ottoman urban fabric that have been progressively bypassed by development. Carved timber houses, traditional çarşı commercial buildings and Ottoman-era hans (caravanserais) stand in various states of dereliction between the active commercial streets, their ornate wooden details weathering in the Anatolian climate. The specific contrast between the early 20th-century provincial Ottoman town and the modernist capital built around it creates a historically rich abandonment. GPS in our Turkey Urbex Map.
4. Disused Early Republican Government Building – Central Ankara — 1930s Modernist Architecture, Ankara's Nation-Building Era, Functionalist Design (Exclusively on Our Map)
In the 1930s and 1940s, Ankara was transformed from a small Anatolian town into a modernist European-style capital — ministries, embassies, cultural institutions and residential blocks built by German and Austrian architects invited to design the new republic's capital. Several of these early Republican modernist buildings have since been superseded by newer government facilities and stand in various states of disuse, their functionalist facades and the specific political optimism of their construction era aging in the Ankara climate. GPS in our Turkey Urbex Map.
5. Derelict Industrial Site – Ankara Industrial District — Post-1950 Heavy Industry, State Enterprise Heritage, Workshop Halls, Post-Privatisation Abandonment (Off the Radar — Our Map Only)
Ankara's post-WWII industrialisation — driven by state enterprises (KİT) established as part of Turkey's import-substitution economic model — created a belt of heavy industry to the city's south and east. Several of these state enterprise factory complexes, privatised and then closed in the post-1980 economic liberalisation, stand in various states of dereliction at the margins of Ankara's industrial districts: workshop halls with machinery partially intact, administrative buildings with the corporate identity of defunct state enterprises still on the walls. Find them on our Turkey Urbex Map.
❓ FAQ
What is the most famous abandoned place in Ankara?
The Ankara Citadel (Ankara Kalesi) upper sections — a Byzantine-Ottoman hilltop fortress above the Ulus district whose outer ramparts and upper towers stand in progressive dereliction while an inhabited traditional village survives within the inner walls. The citadel is freely accessible and provides extraordinary views over the modern capital from its derelict upper sections. For Republican-era heritage, the peripheral buildings of the Atatürk Forest Farm — founded in 1925 — are among Turkey's most historically resonant disused structures.
Is Ankara worth visiting for urbex?
Yes — though often overlooked in favour of Istanbul and Cappadocia. Ankara's specific urbex character is defined by the republican nation-building era (1920s–1950s) — a political and architectural story available nowhere else in Turkey. The citadel, the Atatürk Forest Farm periphery, the Ulus Ottoman quarter and the early Republican modernist buildings create four distinct typologies of abandonment in a compact, easily navigated city.
How do I get to Ankara from Istanbul?
High-speed train (YHT) from Istanbul Pendik to Ankara in approximately 4 hours — by far the recommended option. Buses are available but take 5–6 hours. Flying is 1 hour but with airport transfers makes less sense. The Ankara Citadel is a 20-minute metro ride from the central Kızılay station to Ulus.
Safety Tips
- Citadel masonry: the upper tower sections of Ankara Kalesi include unstable stone sections — never stand beneath overhanging masonry in derelict rampart areas
- Government building sensitivity: avoid photography of active or semi-active government and military facilities in Ankara — Turkey's capital has specific security sensitivities around official buildings
- Wooden structure risk: Ottoman timber houses in Ulus may have compromised floors — assess before entering any upper floor sections
- Never explore alone — always bring at least one other person and share your location
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