Entertainment
Quality and variety of entertainment venues
that form an important of Ankara life are
among the essentials of the city. It is possible
to taste the traditional Turkish dishes at the
restaurants at the Ankara Castle located
in the Ulus district. Gölbaşı province is the
recreation and holiday spot of the city. City’s
entertainment revenues at the Tunalı Hilmi,
and Tunus Streets as well as Park Street and
Koru Mesa Plaza in the Çayyolu neighborhood
have the quality to attract those who are
looking for an entertainment.
Local Characteristics
Seymens
Seymens (name of an irregular militia
tradition in Central Anatolia) who participate
in holiday and wedding ceremonies with their
traditional local costumes are the symbols of
bravery, dare and patriotism. Although, it is
originated from “Sekban” unit of the Guild of
Janissaries, the Seymen tradition goes back to
the Oghuz tribes which settled in Ankara and
its environs. Kargın, Çavundur and Büğdüz
of Çubuk province, Bayındır of Elmadağ
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province, Kayı, Kınık and of Yenimahalle
province Dodurga, Peçenek ve Yazır located
at the skirts of Hüseyin Gazi Dağı mountain,
Avşar villages at the Bala province got their
names from the 24 Oghuz tribes. Settlement
spot of princes before going to the Söğüt
province was Gölbaşı. Seymen ceremonies
were held at the times when the “National
Spirit” reached to a peak.
Last big Seymen Ceremony was held on
December 27, 1919. When Mustafa Kemal
arrived in Ankara soil during the invasion of
Anatolia, another Seymen ceremony was held
just like they did during the Oghuz Period.
When Atatürk asked them , “Why are you
here?” Seymens of Ankara told, “We are here
to see you and die in your path.”
Local Cuisine
Kitchen was the largest part of the old Ankara
houses. At one side of the kitchen, there were
oven and furnace and at the other side, there
was the pantry where the foodstuff for winter
was kept. Pantry usually has two stories and
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