Curated by Prof. Dr. Ali Cengizkan and architect Müge Cengizkan from our university’s Department of Interior Architecture, and realized with the sponsorship of the Vehbi Koç Foundation and the support of Koç University VEKAM, the exhibition titled “Building a City: Ankara 1923-1933” opened to the public at the Gazhane Museum on September 12, 2025.
The exhibition, which examines the re-establishment of a city with the will demonstrated in the first decade of the Republic, addresses the transformation that Ankara, which became the capital days before the proclamation of the Republic, underwent in its first decade with successful planning despite all kinds of difficulties, especially the housing problem. The establishment of this “new city,” shaped by modernization policies, is told through hundreds of original photographs, various visuals, models, and film recordings from the period. The exhibition also conveys the experiences of numerous politicians, writers, intellectuals, architects, and planners who lived through the first decade of the capital.
Our Cappadocia Research Center director, Dr. Öğr. Member Şükran Ünser visited the exhibition and shared her experiences with us:
“The exhibition is extremely valuable not only in terms of architectural and urban history, but also in understanding the relationship between space and identity. The transformation of Ankara, a small Anatolian town in 1923, into a modern capital within ten years is a very important example of how political will shapes space.
The original photographs, film recordings, and models in the exhibition convey the spirit of the era very vividly. The section describing the life experiences of the architects, planners, and intellectuals of the time in Ankara shows that the act of “building a city” is a social and cultural process.
It is a must-see exhibition for researchers working on architecture, urban planning, and the history of the Republic. It also offers a rich resource for those working on space, memory, and identity.”
The exhibition can be visited free of charge every day except Monday from 10:00 to 18:00 until March 22, 2026.
