One of the oldest and most beautiful historical monuments in Ankara, the Aslanhane Mosque, whose name literally translates to ”Lion’s House Mosque,” predates the Ottoman Empire and was built during the period of the Seljuks that succeeded the Sultanate of Rum amid Mongol invasions. At this time in the late Middle Ages, the wool-producing Silk Road town of Ankara was uniquely ruled not by the sword but by a community or “republic” of Ahis, a so-called brotherhood formed by trade guilds under the guidance of Sufi concepts. There are several…
