Kızılay Meydanı

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A view of Kızılay Square from the northwest, with the Emek Business Center (1959–1965).

Kızılay Meydanı (Kızılay Square) is one of the most important centers and junction points of Ankara, Turkey.

Geography[edit]

The square at 39°55′N 32°51′E / 39.917°N 32.850°E / 39.917; 32.850 is the intersection of two major boulevards. Atatürk Boulevard (Turkish: Atatürk Bulvarı) running from south to north is popularly called the "Protocol Road". The east part of the other boulevard is named Ziya Gökalp Boulevard (formerly Kazım Özalp Boulevard) and the west part is named Gazi Mustafa Kemal Boulevard. Kızılay Emek Business Center is situated to the southeast and Güven Park is situated to the southwest of the square. The Kızılay AVM shopping mall, which replaced the former Kızılay (Turkish Red Crescent) headquarters, is situated to the northwest.

History[edit]

Kızılay Square in Ankara, during the early years of the Turkish Republic, with the later demolished Su Perileri (Water Fairies) monumental fountain, c. 1930.[1][2]

The square was named Kızılay (meaning "Red Crescent" in Turkish)[3] after the Turkish Red Crescent headquarters, which was built on its northwest in 1929 (the Red Crescent building was demolished in 1993 and replaced by the present-day Kızılay AVM shopping mall, which – after a long legal process regarding its ownership rights – was opened in 2011.)[4] In those years, the city center was located to the north of Kızılay, but Ankara was redesigned by a group of urban planners including Hermann Jansen. After the development of the new quarters, the center of the city eventually shifted toward the neighborhoods around the square, and in fact those quarters are now known as Kızılay.[5]

Transportation[edit]

Kızılay is a stop in the routes of most of the public buses operating both in the south–north and east–west directions. Kızılay is also the terminus of the M1 and M2 lines of the Ankara Metro.[6] The station of the Ankaray light rail is located below the metro terminal. Kızılay is a central station of Ankaray which connects the northeast of Ankara to the west of the city center.[7]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Gezenadam: "Susuz Su Perileri"
  2. ^ Hürriyet: "İnat değil kent kazandı" (20-12-2010)
  3. ^ Anatolia luwo
  4. ^ Perakende.org: "Kızılay AVM kapılarını açıyor"
  5. ^ A report by the chambers of Architectures (Turkish)
  6. ^ Metro page (Turkish)
  7. ^ Ankaray page (Turkish)
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