For my first trip to Türkiye, I visited Ankara for a friend’s wedding in September 2026. This was only a short Thursday to Sunday trip – enough time for the wedding and some rest at each end! I stayed in a Turkish hotel in the Çankaya district of Ankara, close to the Kocatepe Mosque and many shops & restaurants. Unfortunately I did not visit the inside of the mosque, however, from the outside it looked very impressive, and I listened to one of the calls to prayer up close whilst there.

I sampled some of the food whilst in Ankara city centre, which was delicious, but I must say that for half of it, I did not know what it was! There was a Turkish-English language barrier, at least where I was staying (local Turkish & non-touristic), which could make dining out a little tricky for a foreign fussy eater. I tried a kebab house which came recommended to me by a friend, and thoroughly enjoyed everything that I had there (the chicken shish was stunning!) The food at the wedding was also spot on – pic of the dessert below!

The wedding was the highlight of the trip. Set in a beautiful venue in Gölbaşı, on the outskirts of Ankara, we feasted, danced, and enjoyed some traditional Turkish music from a live band. Below are a couple of pictures of the venue.

If any of my readers have been to Ankara before, what were your impressions of the city? I found it a little bit of a culture shock, but very much an interesting place which I wanted to learn more about. I may return to Türkiye again in the future, perhaps to a different area or city, who knows!