Ankara Palas

This grand early republican building in the Ulus district was constructed in the 1920s as a state guesthouse and social hall for the new capital, designed in the First National Architectural style that fused Ottoman and modern forms. With its twin domed corner pavilions, broad staircase and ornate reception rooms, it hosted balls, receptions and visiting dignitaries in the formative years of the republic. Later restored, it now serves as a state guest house and occasional museum. It embodies the ceremonial ambitions of Ankara's founding decade.