The Temple of Augustus in Ankara: An Ancient Roman Inscription Hidden in the City

On Hacı Bayram Hill in Ankara, just steps from a historic mosque, stand the weathered remains of an ancient Roman temple. Many visitors arrive to see Hacı Bayram Mosque first, then turn towards the old stone walls beside it.

This is the Temple of Augustus, a monument that connects two very different chapters of history. On one side stands a place of worship associated with the Ottoman period; on the other, the surviving remains of a Roman sanctuary preserve a remarkable record of imperial history.

Look beyond the stones and fragments of architecture. The temple is especially important because its walls preserve an extensive version of a text that reveals how one of Rome’s most powerful emperors wanted the world to remember him.

Ankara in the Roman World

The Temple of Augustus was built in ancient Ancyra, following the incorporation of Galatia into the Roman Empire. Generally dated to around 25–20 BC, it was dedicated to Emperor Augustus and the personification of Rome.

Ancyra was an important centre of the Roman province of Galatia. The temple reflected the political and religious significance of the city within the empire.

The entire building has not survived. Nevertheless, parts of the entrance, interior walls and inscribed surfaces remain, offering clues to the monument’s original form and importance.

The site continued to evolve long after the Roman period. During the Byzantine era, the temple was converted into a church. Centuries later, Hacı Bayram Mosque was built immediately beside it in the early 15th century. Today, the two structures form one of Ankara’s most striking historic settings.

The Inscription That Made the Temple Famous

The temple’s greatest historical treasure is the inscription known as Res Gestae Divi Augusti, commonly translated as “The Deeds of the Divine Augustus.”

The text describes Augustus’s political and military achievements, public works and contributions to the Roman state, presenting events from the emperor’s own perspective. It was inscribed on the temple after his death.

Its Latin and Greek versions are invaluable to historians studying the Roman Empire, its political culture and the ways emperors presented their achievements to the public.

The original inscription in Rome has not survived intact, making the Ankara version particularly significant. It preserves one of the most comprehensive surviving records of how Augustus wanted his reign to be remembered.

There is an important distinction to keep in mind, however. This is not a neutral history book. It is an account designed to highlight the emperor’s accomplishments. That is precisely what makes it so revealing: the inscription tells us not only about Roman history, but also about how political power sought to shape its own legacy.

What the Stones Reveal — and What They Do Not

When exploring ancient ruins, it is tempting to imagine the missing sections as if the entire structure still stood before us. The Temple of Augustus is rewarding even without that reconstruction.

Look at the surviving walls, the entrance and the surfaces carrying inscriptions. They provide evidence of the building’s design and former function. At the same time, remember that the remains reflect many centuries of change, damage and reuse rather than a single moment in history.

A substantial section of the northwestern wall of the inner chamber was destroyed in 1834. Despite this loss, important architectural elements and portions of the inscriptions survived.

The value of the site lies not only in what has disappeared, but in how much historical information remains in the fragments that can still be seen today.

Beside Hacı Bayram Mosque

Hacı Bayram Mosque, built in 1427–1428, stands immediately beside the temple. Their proximity makes this one of Ankara’s most memorable places for a short historical walk.

Here, Roman inscriptions, Ottoman-era religious architecture and the everyday life of modern Ankara share the same view. Rather than being separated into different museum galleries, these periods meet outdoors, within a few steps of one another.

Do not limit your visit to taking a photograph of the temple from the street. Walk around the mosque and its adjoining tomb, then return to the ancient walls. The same stones may look different once you have seen how many layers of history surround them.

Planning Your Visit

The Temple of Augustus is in Hacı Bayram Mahallesi, in Ankara’s Altındağ district. It is an easy addition to a walking itinerary through the historic Ulus area.

• Location: Hacı Bayram Mahallesi, Altındağ, Ankara, Türkiye.
• Suggested visit time: Allow around 15–30 minutes to examine the surviving remains and inscriptions.
• Nearby attractions: Hacı Bayram Mosque and Tomb, Ankara Castle, the Roman Baths and the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations.
• Best time to visit: Daylight makes it easier to appreciate the architectural details and surviving inscriptions.
• Access: The temple is an open-air archaeological monument. Access to particular areas and current visiting arrangements may vary, so take account of the conditions on site.

For a broader understanding of Roman Ankara, combine the temple with the Roman Baths and other historic sites around Ulus. Together, they help reveal the importance of ancient Ancyra within the wider Roman world.

Ankara’s Memory, Preserved in Stone

The Temple of Augustus preserves a text through which one of Rome’s most powerful emperors presented his own legacy. Yet the monument tells a story larger than that of Augustus alone. Its later use and its setting beside Hacı Bayram Mosque also reflect how Ankara changed across centuries, as different communities gave the same place new meanings.

As you leave, remember that the words carved here were intended to outlast the emperor who commissioned their legacy. Today, far from the centre of ancient Rome, they remain part of Ankara’s landscape.

Sometimes history survives not in a grand museum hall, but on the quiet wall of an old building in the middle of a living city.