Hamamönü

About Hamamönü

Hamamönü is a restored historic quarter in Altındağ that the provincial culture and tourism directorate calls a centre of traditional handicrafts and craft workshops. Its origins go back to the 13th century, when trading areas around Ankara Castle spread outwards, and it takes its name from the Karacabey Hamamı, part of the mosque and bath complex built by Karaca Bey in 1427. The quarter flourished with the weaving of sof, a mohair cloth, in the 15th and 16th centuries, and in the early Republican years its houses were home to officials and writers, including the poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy, who lived in a room at the Taceddin Dergâhı, now a museum house. Restoration work from the 2000s turned the old timber-framed Ankara houses into a visitor area. For shoppers the highlight is Sanat Sokağı (Art Street): 22 historic houses rebuilt by Altındağ Municipality and open since 2010, with workshops upstairs and galleries downstairs. Dozens of artists working in painting, marbling, calligraphy, tiles, stained glass, ceramics, leather, felt, silver and jewellery make, show and sell their work here, and many also give lessons. The municipality also runs a handicrafts market in Hamamönü where local women sell their own handmade goods such as jewellery. The directorate describes the quarter's cobbled streets and bay-windowed houses as home to craft workshops, galleries, museums, boutique cafés and restaurants serving local food, with stands of traditional handicrafts at its frequent cultural events, especially during Ramadan. The streets are lit up in the evening, which makes it a pleasant place for a stroll. Landmarks to look out for include the Karacabey Hamamı, the 15th-century Hacı Musa Camii and the Mehmet Akif Ersoy house.