A planetarium with specifically named telescopes, two city parks with distinct character, and memorial sites commemorating the Battle of Sakarya give Polatlı several thematic highlights. The selection ranges from astronomy and urban open spaces to museums and monuments in the district. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing between attractions in the city and historical sites in the surrounding area. This will help you decide whether parks and astronomy or the history of the battle should shape your stay more.
Planetarium and Telescopes
The Alparslan Türkeş Science Center and Uluğ Bey Planetarium is located at the entrance to the city. The facility has a planetarium hall, a BRESSER SolarX solar telescope, and MEADE LX70 reflecting telescopes. The hall and the specifically named instruments offer two distinct facets of the astronomy theme: in addition to the planetarium, optical technology is also a focus. This makes the center a clear thematic counterpoint to the parks and historical sites that Polatlı also has to offer.
City Parks with Different Features
Necip Fazıl Park is in the city center and features a modern, illuminated park area with a monument and a decorative fountain. On the western side of the city, in Şehitlik Mahallesi, is the Fikret Sururi Evirgen walking trail and park. This area includes a walking path with rest areas and exercise equipment, a tennis court, and a neighborhood sports field. The two parks also differ in their amenities: in the city center, the monument and fountain define the setting, while the western walking-trail park includes a walking path, rest areas, and sports facilities. This makes it easy to distinguish between the urban open spaces described here by their respective features.
Museums and Memorial Sites in the District
In the surrounding area of Polatlı, the Gordion Museum is located in the village of Yassıhöyük. It was founded in 1963. Its facilities include storage areas added in the 1990s, a laboratory, and audiovisual and informational areas. Finds from the excavations at Gordion and from the Polatlı area are displayed chronologically in open and enclosed exhibition spaces. Archaeological finds and their chronological context are therefore the focus—a different thematic approach from that of the astronomy-focused science center.
The Kartaltepe Mehmetçik Monument stands six kilometers west of Polatlı on the E90. Including its base, it measures 32 meters; the monument itself is 22 meters high, and the base is 10 meters high. The base features eight reliefs measuring 3 × 5 meters. The figures clearly distinguish between the total height, the monument and its base, and the dimensions of the reliefs.
The Sakarya Victory Monument is located in the Şehitler Kaşı area of Polatlı district. At the end of a flight of steps are reliefs depicting the history of the Turkish army’s victory; the monument also includes a museum with photographs and documents about the Battle of Sakarya. The reliefs and museum collections present different aspects of the same historical theme: visual depictions and documentary materials.
The Sakarya Cemetery contains 140 graves of unnamed fallen soldiers who took part in the Battle of Sakarya after arriving from different parts of Turkey and were buried in Polatlı. Together with the Victory Monument, the cemetery draws attention to another perspective on the battle: the people who took part in it and were buried there.
Discover more destinations: Şereflikoçhisar, Kızılcahamam, Pursaklar, Serinyayla Köyü, Güzelöz Köyü, Yıldırımbeyazıt Mahallesi, Akkaya, Dikmen.
For the main travel overview: Ankara.
