UEFA EURO24 Bid Brochure

27 ANKARA Ankara, known for its universities, technology development zones, industrial zones, sector clusters and non-governmental organisations, is not only the administrative but also the social, cultural, and innovative capital of Turkey. Ankara was formerly called as ‘Ankuwash’ by the Hittites, one of the first civilizations of Anatolia, ‘Aγκυρα- Ànkyra’ during the Hellenistic and Byzantine periods, ‘Ancyra’ (which means ‘anchor') by the Galatians and Romans. The capital of civilisation in Anatolia, Ankara, with its ruins of Hittite, Phrygian, Roman, Seljuk Empires, and with its key role during the Turkish Independence War, is recognised as a city that bears distinctive marks from every stage of the history. Its cultural heritage is very unique and precious. Çatalhöyük, King Midas Tomb, Mother Goddess, Cybele Statuette, Temple of Augustus and Alaeddin Mosque are some of the examples of this. Ankara is a city devoted to football. Among its 10 professional teams, two are competing in Turkish Super League this season. Known for its clubs' devoted fan base, Ankara is a city of football with its heart beating for football on 24/7 basis. We will build a new stadium with the gross capacity of 65,307 in Ankara to celebrate the hosting of UEFA EURO 2024 tournament. This stadium will be a gift to the football fans of Ankara as a long-term legacy of UEFA EURO 2024. Ankara, capital of Turkey and heart of the state, feels the passion of football every single moment.