Photos: William Neuheisel from DC, US, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 Jebulon, after an original picture taken by EvgenyGenkin, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: William Neuheisel from DC, US, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 Jebulon, after an original picture taken by EvgenyGenkin, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Kocatepe Mosque, Ankara's largest, on camera
Your local guide
Merve Bal
View profile
Highlights
- Domes and minarets, Ottoman in style
- Actually completed in the late 20th century
- A mosque combined with a shopping level
- A modern approach to a traditional design
- Construction explained in detail
About this tour
This session looks at Kocatepe Mosque, Ankara's largest, from its courtyard and the modern level built beneath it. You see the Ottoman-style domes and minarets first, more recent than most visitors assume, then hear how the building unusually combines a mosque with a shopping level underground. Together the two stops explain a distinctly modern approach to a traditional design.
I begin with a sound check in the courtyard, then we move around the building while you ask questions about its construction. I explain the practical thinking behind combining the two functions. At the end I send a short note on what we covered.
This suits anyone interested in how a capital city updates a traditional building type. It also suits a traveller comparing this mosque with older ones elsewhere in Turkey.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Ankara before heading out.
-
Mosque Courtyard 15 min
The camera looks up at the domes and minarets from the courtyard. I explain that the Ottoman-looking design was actually completed in the late 20th century.
-
Underground Shopping Level 15 min
From outside, I point toward the level built beneath the mosque, explaining how the design combined a religious building with a modern shopping centre underneath.
-
Your questions 7 min
Time to ask anything about Ankara: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
-
A short list to keep 3 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Beypazarı güveç (clay-pot stew) and Kızılay, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Istanbul time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 12 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Ankara, showing you Mosque Courtyard and Underground Shopping Level live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Kocatepe Mosque live with my phone.
Times shown in Istanbul time (GMT+3)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Reviews appear here after travellers have completed this tour.
How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Fri 20 Nov · 12 seats left From 18,00 €
Book