Polatlı (formerly Ancient Greek: Γόρδιον, Górdion and Latin: Gordium) is a city and a district in Ankara Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey, 80 km west of the Turkish capital Ankara, on the road to Eskişehir. According to 2019 census, population of the district is 125,075 of which 98,605 live in the city of Polatlı. The district covers an area of 3,789 km², and the average elevation is 850 m.

Geography

Polatlı is situated at the heart of the high Anatolian Plateau, a large

steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the temperate grasslands, ...

covered with grass. Far from the coast, it has a typical steppe climate. The winters are generally cold, the summers dry and dusty. The springs are the most humid times of the year. Polatlı is one of the most productive agricultural districts in Turkey and is best known for its

cereal A cereal is any Poaceae, grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, Cereal germ, germ, and bran. Cereal Grain, grain crops are grown in greater quantit ...

production, especially barley and wheat. Polatlı is one of Turkey's largest grain stores.

Sugar beet A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (''Beta vulgaris''). Together wi ...

, melon and onion are also grown.

History

Ancient settlement

The ancient

Phrygia In classical antiquity, Phrygia ( ; grc, Φρυγία, ''Phrygía'' ) was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now Asian Turkey, centered on the Sangarios River. After its conquest, it became a region of the great empires ...

n capital

Gordion Gordion ( Phrygian: ; el, Γόρδιον, translit=Górdion; tr, Gordion or ; la, Gordium) was the capital city of ancient Phrygia. It was located at the site of modern Yassıhüyük, about southwest of Ankara (capital of Turkey), in the ...

is 10 km from the city of Polatlı. On the outskirts of Polatli there is an archaeological mound of the same name, the remains of a multi-layered settlement of the Bronze Age (3rd-2nd millennium BC). Since the mound was being used by local people as a quarry, rescue excavations of its southern and central parts were carried out in 1949 by the Anglo-Turkish expedition led by Seton Lloyd, and Nuri Gökçe, then the director of the ‘Hittite Museum in Ankara’.Lloyd, S., Gökçe, N. (1951); “Excavations at Polatlı. A New Investigation of Second and Third Millennium Stratigraphy in Anatolia", Anatolian Studies I, 21–75.

Classical antiquity

On his expedition to the east, Alexander the Great cut the famous

Gordian Knot The Gordian Knot is an Ancient Greek legend of Phrygian Gordium associated with Alexander the Great who is said to have cut the knot in 333 BC. It is often used as a metaphor for an intractable problem (untying an impossibly tangled knot) sol ...

, an omen of his coming rule over the whole Asia. Pessinus, an ancient city on the upper river Sangarios (modern day

Sakarya River The Sakarya (Sakara River, tr, Sakarya Irmağı; gr, Σαγγάριος, translit=Sangarios; Latin: ''Sangarius'') is the third longest river in Turkey. It runs through the region known in ancient times as Phrygia. It was considered one of th ...

), is also within the borders of Polatlı. The mythological Phrygian King Midas is said to have ruled from Pessinus and to be buried here. Polatlı also occupied an important place in the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922 as the

Battle of Sakarya The Battle of the Sakarya ( tr, Sakarya Meydan Muharebesi, lit=Sakarya Field Battle), also known as the Battle of the Sangarios ( el, Μάχη του Σαγγαρίου, Máchi tou Sangaríou), was an important engagement in the Greco-Turkish Wa ...

(August 23-September 13, 1921) was fought here, the utmost eastern point reached by the advancing Greek Army in Anatolia. There are two memorial burial grounds of those lost in the battle. There is also a monument named

Mehmetçik Monument Mehmetçik Monument (Kartaltepe Mehmetçik Monument) is a monumental sculpture featuring a Turkish soldier on Kartaltepe of Polatlı, a rural area of Ankara Province, Turkey. The name of the monument ''Mehmetçik'' is the diminutive form of the ...

about the battle just west of Polatlı.

Hacitugrul mound

Since the 1970s, excavations by Turkish archaeologists have been carried out near the modern town and train station of

Yenidoğan, Polatlı Yenidoğan, Polatlı is a village in the District of Polatlı, Ankara Province, Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transco ...

, 15 km northeast of Polatli and 20 km from Gordion. This site, near

Hacıtuğrul, Polatlı Hacıtuğrul is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Polatlı, Ankara Province, Turkey. Its population is 179 (2022). Archaeology Hacıtuğrul Höyük (:tr:Hacıtuğrul Höyüğü) is a mound located at the 60 km marker of ...

, is now known as :tr:Hacıtuğrul Höyüğü. The remains of monumental fortifications and other buildings of the city of the Phrygian time, which exceeded Gordion in size, were found here. Five burial mounds were found in the vicinity.

Villages in the district

* Adatoprakpınar * Avdanlı * Avşar * Babayakup * Basri * Beyceğiz * Beylikköprü * Beşköprü * Çanakçı * Çekirdeksiz * Çimenceğiz * Eskikarsak * Eskiköseler * Eskipolatlı * Gedikli * Gençali * Gülpınar * Gümüşyaka * Gündoğan * Güreş * Hacımusa * Hacımuslu * Hacıosmanoğlu * Hacıtuğrul * Hıdırşeyh * Ilıca * İğciler * Kabakköy * Karaahmet * Karabenli * Karacaahmet * Karahamzalı * Karailyas * Karakaya * Karakuyu * Karapınar * Karayavşan * Kargalı * Kayabaşı * Kocahacılı * Kuşçu * Kıranharmanı * Kızılcakışla *

Macun Macun (in Turkish language, Turkish also Macun şekeri) is a soft, sweet and colorful Turkish cuisine, Turkish toffee paste. It is a street food that may be prepared with many herbs and spices. Macun originated from spicy preparations of Mesir mac ...

* Müslüm * Olukpınar * Oğuzlar * Ömerler * Ördekgölü * Özyurt * Poyraz * Sabanca *

Sakarya Sakarya may refer to: Places * Sakarya Province, in Turkey ** Sakarya (electoral district) ** Sakarya University * Sakarya (continent), a small continent 90 million years ago * Sakarya River, in Turkey * Sakarya, Polatlı, a village in Ankara Pro ...

* Sarıhalil * Sarıoba * Sazlar * Sinanlı *

Sincik Sincik ( ku, Sinciq) is a town of Adıyaman Province of Turkey. It is the seat of Sincik District.Sivri *

Şabanözü Şabanözü is a district of Çankırı Province, Turkey. It is nearly from Ankara and from Çankırı. Economy Every Monday is the day for bazaar (farmer's market) which takes place in the centrum. Wheat, beans, corn and various fruit are t ...

* Şeyhahmetli * Şeyhali * Tatlıkuyu * Taşpınar * Toydemir * Tüfekçioğlu * Türkkarsak * Türktaciri * Uzunbeyli * Üçpınar *

Yaralı Emrah Erdoğan İpek (born January 1, 1971) is a Turkish singer, actor and child star during 1980's. Life and Career He was born in Ergani,Diyarbakır. he professionally entered the music world with his album ''Ağam Ağam'' during his time i ...

* Yassıhüyük * Yağcıoğlu, Polatlı, Yağcıoğlu * Yağmurbaba, Polatlı, Yağmurbaba * Yenice, Polatlı, Yenice * Yenidoğan, Polatlı, Yenidoğan * Yeniköseler, Polatlı, Yeniköseler * Yenimehmetli, Polatlı, Yenimehmetli * Yeşilöz, Polatlı, Yeşilöz * Yüzükbaşı, Polatlı, Yüzükbaşı * Yıldızlı, Polatlı, Yıldızlı

Polatlı today

Today, Polatlı is an important district of Ankara on the main road which connects the capital to the west of Turkey. The city has a good range of restaurants, bars, schools and other important amenities but still a quiet rural feel to it, and little social life except cafes, patisseries and window shopping on a Sunday afternoon. There are car repair workshops but otherwise little industry. Polatlı is trying to become an independent province from Ankara and "we want to be a city" graffiti can be seen in the town. There is a military base here and the Turkish Army Artillery School was established in Polatlı in the early 1940s and is still an important institution in the town. Polatlıspor is a minor league football club that once climbed into the second league. There is a large statue of a kangaroo on the main road into city.

Longwave transmitter

Near Polatli, there is a longwave broadcasting transmitter, which works on 180 kHz with a transmitter output power of 1200 kW. It uses as antenna a single 250 metres tall mast situated at 39°45'22"N 32°25'5"E. The station is known as "Polatlı Vericisi."

Notes

References

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External links

District governor's official website

District municipality's official website

Everyday images of Polatlı
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polatli Polatlı, Populated places in Ankara Province Cities in Turkey Districts of Ankara Province