Experience in Ankara, Turkey, by Duru

What is it like to live in Ankara? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Ankara is the capital city of the Turkey therefore it is a more tidy city than others. It is a good city for students cause some of the biggest and oldest universities are located in Ankara.

The weather is quite cold in winters and in the summer it is unnecessarily hot but you will see all four seasons in Ankara.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Ankara?

There are lot of students and student places, especially near the university you can find so many places to hang around.

Some of the universities (for example METU or Hacettepe University) have their own campuses and those campuses are like little cities where you can find everything you need. Besides that, there are specific streets and neighborhoods just for students.

How much does it cost to live in Ankara?

If you have a place to stay then 600 TL could be enough.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Ankara? Is there any advice you can give?

There are university dormitories for their own students and you have 2 options: you can either chose private ones or the normal ones, which are cheaper but they have usually limited place. Apart from that, you can find private dormitories in different locations in the city. Finding a flat is also possible but dorms are much more easier to handle it.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

You will have a lot of options about food. Probably in the university you will have dining hall, you can eat there and it will cost you like 2-3 TL (for example in Hacettepe University the price is 1,5 TL)

What places would you recommend visiting in Ankara?

First of all Anıtkabir, then Ulus (to see first parliaments of the Republic of Turkey), Castle Ankara, Hamamönü, Lake Eymir, Tunalı street...

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Is it good to eat out in Ankara? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

If you want to eat out you can find a lot of places especially in Kızılay, Tunalı, and Bahçelievler. My favourite spot is little boutique restaurants in Tunalı or Bahçelievler.

Is the nightlife good in Ankara? Where is good to go?

There is a nightlife in Ankara for sure. In Tunalı or Gaziosmanpaşa you can find very good places but the price would be a bit higher.

If you go 100. Yıl (which is a real student neighborhood), prices are much more cheaper.

What advice would you give future students heading to Ankara?

The university is so important, i recomend you METU, Hacettepe, Bilkent or Ankara University.

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