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Ankara
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The city of Ankara lies in the center of Anatolia on
the eastern edge of the great, high Anatolian Plateau, at an
altitude of 850 meters. It is the center of the province with the
same name, which is a predominantly fertile wheat steppeland, with
forested areas in its northeast region. It is bordered by the
provinces of cankiri and Bolu to the north, Eskisehir to the west,
Konya and Aksaray to the south, and Kirikkale and Kirsehir to the
east. The region's history goes back to the Bronze-Age Hatti
Civilization, which was succeeded in the 2nd millenium B.C. by the
Hittites, then the Phrygians (10th century B.C.); Lydians and
Persians followed. After these came the Galatians, a Celtic race
who were the first to make Ankara their capital (3rd century
B.C.). It was then known as Ancyra,meaning 'anchor' (which is one
of the oldest words in the language of the sea-loving Celts). The
city subsequently fell to the Romans, Byzantines, and Seijuks
under Alpaslan in 1073, and then to the Ottomans under Yildirim
Beyazit in 1402, who remained in control until World War I.
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