A morning walk through Ankara's oldest district combining 2,500 years of history with authentic street food. Start at the Roman Column of Julian with a fresh simit, work through the Çıkrıkçılar Yokuşu spice market, climb to the Citadel for coffee and views, try gözleme near Hacı Bayram Mosque, lunch on Ankara tava at Hacı Arif Bey, and finish with tea and baklava in the restored Hamamönü quarter.
The Ulus Historic Market Food Walk is a self-guided itinerary through Ankara's oldest quarter, tracing 2,500 years of urban history via six sequential food stops across roughly 2.5 kilometres. The route begins at the Column of Julian in Hükümet Meydanı, where a street cart sells the iconic sesame-encrusted simit for around 15 TRY, then descends into Çıkrıkçılar Yokuşu, a cobbled lane packed with spice merchants, herbalists, and dried-fruit sellers who frequently offer complimentary samples to passing visitors. From there the walk climbs to the Ankara Citadel, a fortress with roots in the Bronze Age whose battlements afford panoramic views over the capital; a café inside the walls serves Turkish coffee at 40–80 TRY per cup. Below the Citadel, the courtyard around Hacı Bayram Mosque hosts village women rolling and cooking gözleme — thin flatbreads filled with spinach, cheese, or potato — at 80–120 TRY per portion. The centrepiece lunch stop is Hacı Arif Bey at Karanlık Çarşı No:19, one of Ulus's best-known lokanta restaurants and a longtime specialist in Ankara tava, a slow-braised lamb dish long regarded as the capital's regional signature; a portion with bread and salad typically costs 250–350 TRY. The walk finishes in the restored Hamamönü quarter, a grid of Ottoman timber mansions converted into tea houses and pastry shops, where a glass of çay alongside baklava runs 60–120 TRY at a covered garden café. Because the tour is self-organised, there is no fixed group size, no minimum booking, and no formal guide; walkers set their own pace and can linger at any stop without restriction. Vegetarians can substitute the Ankara tava lunch for a mezes-only spread at the same restaurant, and gözleme fillings are available in cheese or spinach variants at every stall. No transfers or entry tickets are included in the estimated 350–600 TRY food spend; the final destination, Gençlik Parkı, is a public park with no entry fee. Flat, comfortable shoes are strongly recommended for the steep cobbled incline up to the Citadel.
Highlights
- Simit from street cart
- Ankara Citadel views with Turkish coffee
- Gözleme at Hacı Bayram Mosque area
- Ankara tava lunch at Hacı Arif Bey
- Baklava in Hamamönü
Tips for visiting
- Starting between 08:00 and 09:00 gives the best access to fully stocked vendors at Çıkrıkçılar Yokuşu and freshly opened gözleme stalls near Hacı Bayram Mosque.
- Arriving moderately hungry is advisable — six stops across 3–4 hours means the food spend builds gradually, and a heavy breakfast reduces appetite for the Ankara tava lunch.
- Flat-soled, comfortable shoes are essential; the Citadel approach involves a steep cobbled incline of roughly 50 metres.
- Vegetarians should ask gözleme vendors for peynirli (cheese) or ıspanaklı (spinach) fillings; meat-free dishes are also available at tea houses in Hamamönü.
- Visiting on a national public holiday is best avoided; the Hacı Arif Bey lokanta and several market stalls close on these dates.
Frequently asked questions
Is this walk suitable for children?
Yes. The route is easy in difficulty and the distances are short. Most stops are informal street-food settings that welcome families, and simit and gözleme are reliably popular with young visitors.
Can the walk be done in the afternoon instead of the morning?
The Çıkrıkçılar Yokuşu spice market begins winding down after midday on most days, and some Citadel café seating fills quickly by late morning. An afternoon start is possible but the market segment will be quieter and some stalls may have sold out.
Is the Ankara Citadel café inside the fortress or outside?
Several small cafés and tea gardens are located within the Citadel walls, accessible through the main gate on Goparlar Sokak. No entry fee is charged for the Citadel grounds.
How should dietary restrictions be handled on this self-guided walk?
Because the walk is self-organised, there is no advance communication channel with vendors. Vegetarian options are available at every stop; visitors with severe allergies should carry a written Turkish translation of their restriction to show vendors.
What is Ankara tava and why is it the highlight?
Ankara tava is a traditional Anatolian lamb dish slow-braised with tomatoes and peppers in an earthenware casserole. Hacı Arif Bey has been serving it since the mid-20th century and is widely regarded as one of the most authentic venues in the capital to try it.