Gölbaşı between Handicrafts and Nature

Gölbaşı can be explored through two themes: handicrafts and cultural heritage on the one hand, and birdlife and distinctive natural areas on the other. Sevgi Çiçeği Sanat Sokağı brings together several crafts in a specific location along the walking path in Atatürk Coastal Park. Elsewhere in the municipality, museums and nature-related attractions add further perspectives on Gölbaşı.

Handicrafts and Cultural Heritage

Sevgi Çiçeği Sanat Sokağı runs along the walking path in Atatürk Coastal Park in Gölbaşı. It features copper craftsmanship, egg art, knife-making and pottery. These four named crafts give families who enjoy discussing art and design together while travelling concrete topics to explore: What materials and forms do you associate with each craft?

The Gölbaşı Museum of Intangible Cultural Heritage was established by the Municipality of Gölbaşı and the Turkish Institute of Folklore Application and Research at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University (THBMER). Its purpose is to preserve Gölbaşı’s intangible cultural heritage and pass it on to future generations. In this way, its mission complements the named crafts with a broader perspective on the municipality’s cultural heritage.

Museums with Different Focuses

Elsewhere in Gölbaşı municipality, Müze Evliyagil offers a different perspective on art. Its 750-square-metre exhibition space is spread across three floors. The venue also includes a sculpture garden, a cinema hall and a library. Selected works from a collection are displayed in exhibitions arranged at intervals and with different themes. If you are interested in art exhibitions, you can consider the current exhibition programme as a cultural highlight in your travel plans.

Birdlife, Wetlands and Natural Heritage

Numerous bird species live, breed and rest at Lake Mogan and in its surroundings. Forty species breed there, and 30 species are observed year-round. The municipality’s natural landscape therefore includes both breeding and resting sites. These figures highlight the area’s natural history, setting it apart from its cultural attractions.

The wetlands and marshes around Lake Mogan are also significant: because of their ecological and recreational importance, they were designated the Gölbaşı Special Environmental Protection Area on 22 October 1990 by Council of Ministers Decision No. 90/1117. For nature enthusiasts, this protected-area designation adds another dimension to the landscape’s birdlife.

Within Gölbaşı municipality, Tulumtaş Cave—with its stalactites, stalagmites and columns—is considered an important part of the area’s natural heritage. Including its side passages, it is 549 metres long in total. The Gölbaşı loveflower (Centaurea tchihatcheffii) adds a different note: it is an endemic species threatened with extinction. Together, these nature-related attractions range from the lakeside habitat to the formations in a cave and a single threatened plant.

Choose the Right Focus for Your Trip

When looking for a holiday apartment, you can first consider which themes you want to shape your stay. Handicrafts, intangible cultural heritage and exhibitions make for a cultural focus; birdlife, wetlands, cave formations and the loveflower offer a nature-focused alternative.

Discover more destinations: Karagedik.

Discover more destinations: Serinyayla Köyü, Elmadağ, Temelli Yenihisa, Yıldırımbeyazıt Mahallesi, Akkaya, Çayırhan, Ankara.

Return to the main travel overview: Ankara.