Güvenpark: A Practical Guide to Ankara’s Central Park

Güvenpark is a public park in Kızılay, Ankara, with pedestrian paths, green areas and a prominent monument. It is about a six-minute walk from Enerji Otel, so you can make it a stop on a day spent around central Ankara.

The park forms part of the planned green-space system in Hermann Jansen’s Ankara plan. It was laid out in Yenişehir, an area where government offices and housing developed as the city expanded south from Ulus.

ANFA dates Güvenpark’s establishment to the early 1930s. The park was intended to establish the idea of “trust” in the newly forming country; as Ankara grew around it, Güvenpark became a focal point in the city.

There is room to do more than pass through. Ankara Metropolitan Municipality gives the park’s area as 26,900 square metres and describes pedestrian paths, urban furniture, green areas and a wall exhibition of 20 photographs. ANFA also describes numerous large shade trees and a diverse range of plants.

For a practical visit, enter from the Kızılay side, follow the paths through the green areas, then pause at the monument and look at its different faces. The park’s address is Güven Park / Kızılay, and it is reachable by public transport.

Bus stops in the area include GÜVENPARK and KIZILAY, though the routes and stop sequences vary by line. If you arrive by bus, confirm the service for your starting point rather than assuming every line serves both stops.

The Güvenlik Anıtı stands inside Güvenpark and is also known as the Emniyet Anıtı. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Culture Portal says it was made from Ankara stone in 1935 and was a gift from the Turkish nation to the police and gendarmerie. It was initially called the Zabıta Abidesi and dedicated to the police force.

The monument’s construction began with Anton Hanak and was completed by Joseph Thorak after Hanak’s death in January 1934. Its bronze figures were cast at the Erdberg foundry in Vienna, while artisans made the reliefs on the stone pedestal in Türkiye. The base records the completion year in Roman numerals on the side facing Bakanlıklar.

Walk around the monument to take in both sides. Facing Kızılay, strong young male figures hold a staff representing trust; beneath them, bronze letters read “Türk, Öğün, Çalış, Güven.”

Reliefs on that side show assistance provided to the public by the Turkish Police and Turkish Gendarmerie. The Bakanlıklar-facing figures represent Atatürk’s companions from the War of Independence and reform movements. Reliefs below them depict human intelligence and farmers’ agricultural work.

Güvenpark can anchor a walk that takes in other parts of Ankara, but the available facts do not establish walking distances between these stops. Abdi İpekçi Parkı and Kocatepe Camii are other named landmarks to consider.

For a museum visit, read the guide to the Ethnography Museum of Ankara before setting out. You can also plan a separate visit to Anıtkabir from central Ankara.

The park itself gives you a straightforward sequence: walk the paths, spend time with the monument’s two sides, then continue to another stop if it fits your plans.

The Ankara State Art and Sculpture Museum is another city landmark to consider alongside the Ethnography Museum. Check the route between places before setting off, since the distances between them are not specified here.

The 15 Temmuz Kızılay Millî İrade station serves the M1 Batıkent–Kızılay line. Kızılay is also the shared station for Ankara Metro and Ankaray, making it a useful interchange when you’re planning a journey across the city. EGO identifies the lines as follows:

• M1: Batıkent–Kızılay.
• M2: Çayyolu–Kızılay.
• M3: Batıkent–Sincan/Törekent.
• M4: Keçiören–AKM.
• A1 Ankaray: AŞTİ–Dikimevi, with Kızılay as an intermediate station.

You can transfer between Ankara Metro and Ankaray at the shared Kızılay station without passing through the fare-control gates or paying another fare for the transfer.

The concourse level has shops, a police station, a mosque, a medical room, a PTT office, toilets and an art gallery used for events. These facilities can be useful if you need a break or a service while changing lines.

Before you go: For current public-transport details, check the official site before you go, including EGO’s information for metro, Ankaray and bus services.