Editing Ankara (section)

===Ancient history===
The oldest settlements in and around the city center of Ankara belonged to the [[Hattians|Hattic]] [[Hattic language|civilization]] which existed during the [[Bronze Age]] and was gradually absorbed c. 2000 – 1700&nbsp;BC by the [[Hittite language|Indo-European]] [[Hittites]]. The city grew significantly in size and importance under the [[Phrygia]]ns starting around 1000&nbsp;BC, and experienced a large expansion following the mass migration from [[Gordium|Gordion]], (the capital of [[Phrygia]]), after an earthquake which severely damaged that city around that time. In Phrygian tradition, King [[Midas]] was venerated as the founder of Ancyra, but [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] mentions that the city was actually far older, which accords with present archeological knowledge.<ref>[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], ''Description of Greece, 1.4.1., "Ancyra was actually older even than that."''</ref>

Phrygian rule was succeeded first by [[Lydia]]n and later by [[Iran|Persia]]n rule, though the strongly Phrygian character of the peasantry remained, as evidenced by the gravestones of the much later Roman period. Persian sovereignty lasted until the Persians' defeat at the hands of [[Alexander the Great]] who conquered the city in 333&nbsp;BC. Alexander came from [[Gordium|Gordion]] to Ankara and stayed in the city for a short period. After his death at [[Babylon]] in 323&nbsp;BC and the subsequent division of his empire among his generals, Ankara, and its environs fell into the share of [[Antigonus I Monophthalmus|Antigonus]].

Another important expansion took place under the [[Pontic Greeks|Greeks]] of [[Pontus (region)|Pontos]] who came there around 300&nbsp;BC and developed the city as a trading center for the commerce of goods between the [[Black Sea]] ports and Crimea to the north; Assyria, Cyprus, and Lebanon to the south; and Georgia, Armenia and Persia to the east.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}} By that time,{{citation needed|date=October 2023}} the city also took its name Ἄγκυρα (''Ánkyra'', meaning ''[[anchor]]'' in [[Greek language|Greek]]) which, in slightly modified form, provides the modern name of ''Ankara''.

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Seated Woman of Çatalhöyük on black background.jpg|[[Seated Woman of Çatalhöyük]] on display at the [[Museum of Anatolian Civilizations]].
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