Prenotazione verificata Viaggio in coppia ott 2025
Hakan is a very pleasant gentleman, fluent in both English and Deutsch. We were fortunate to have a private tour with him. We recognized from our planning that Ankara has far fewer tourist attractions and sites than Istanbul which we've visited a couple of times, so we had a proper mindset and expectations. Although the major attractions like the Castle, the surrounding district, and Museum of Anatolian Civilizations were interesting and much more enjoyable with a guide, the highlight for us was the Haci Bayram Mosque. We were there mid-day on a Friday afternoon which is the most popular day and time for prayers. The antiquity of this mosque sharing a wall marked by the Galatians, Hittites and Romans was quite something to see. We wanted to stay and experience as much as we could, so we stopped for lunch at an authentic doner restaurant highly recommended by Hakan and nearest the entrance to the mosque. To be honest, we probably would have walked by this place thinking it too touristic but it was superb! We ate outside and were able to witness the energy and many people gathered for prayer. We were also able to hear the Imam and Hakan graciously interpreted some of the sermon and prayers for us. This was a highlight as we respect all religions and it's a rare opportunity to be so close to such an ancient ritual. The mosque itself was amazing and we were able to walk inside before the prayers --- even me as a woman! A kind old man gave me a scarf to cover my head as I was wearing pants and long sleeves. When we left, I tried to return it but he insisted I keep it. (Note: if you are to visit a mosque as a woman, bring a head scarf and cover your body appropriately...respectfully.) After lunch, our tour was officially over but we opted to walk rather than take a cab downtown and as it turns out, Hakan was headed in the same direction. Our tour continued! He explained the various buildings, their current function and history, we stopped at the postal stamp museum where my husband scored buying stamps. It was free and actually very interesting. While Ankara is a modern secular city, there is so much rich history in all of Turkey. Hakan surely helped us understand and learn much more. Also, Hakan being fluent in both English and German (and of course Turkish!) was able to explain to my husband in Deutsch (his first language) when he stumbled in English. We had such a lovely day with Hakan. He is knowledgeable, kind, and very accommodating. I can't recall a single question we asked that he couldn't answer. We highly recommend a tour with Hakan here in Ankara and he also conducts tours in Cappadocia so we look forward to seeing him again!
Tour a piedi del centro storico di Ankara
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