Show western ideas affect ankara turkish capital pre prepared ared by national geographic society washington ashington v D C service the rise in less than two decades of a provincial town to a world capital is the story of ankara turkey interwoven with the rise of the city is the story of a people finding new life ankara was a city of only about inhabitants in 1923 when the late leader mustafa kemal announced that it was to succeed istanbul as the capital of turkey narrow streets that wound through this inland city on the asiatic side of the were flanked with whitewashed buildings whose upper stories extended so far over the not too clean passageways eways that pedestrians were shielded from the blazing sun bullock carts and donkeys were the chief means of transportation the water supply was questionable tio as to purity and undependable as to quantity there was practically no street lighting oriental bazaars were the chief shopping places fezzes and turbans topped all masculine turkish heads while the women covered their faces in traditional moslem fashion when they ventured beyond the privacy of their homes ancient atmosphere remains although the government has spent more than in recent years to modernize the city the old town has not been entirely stripped of its ancient atmosphere lofty minarets mina still rise fingerlike above streets that have changed lit V 41 KEMAL is the man responsible for the changing of the provincial town of ankara to a world capital Ata turk the late ruler of turkey who introduced many western ideas into his country decided in 1923 that ankara would succeed istanbul as his capital city and he immediately began a number of civic improvements which have resulted in a modern city tle tie except for electric lights w water ater mains and a thorough cleaning other ankara streets however have become well vell pave paved boulevards and modern buildings i now facing them have taken the place of old structures from its humble beginnings just j 16 years ago ankara has gro grown rn in population more than it no now w shelters approximately 1250 00 inhabitants |