Ankara wide streets, hotels, theaters, shopping malls, and high-rises. Government offices and foreign embassies are also located in the new section. Ankara has experienced a phenomenal growth since it was made Turkey's capital in 1923, when it was "a small town of no importance". In 1924, the year after the government had moved there, Ankara had about 35,000 residents. By 1927 there were 44,553 residents and by 1950 the population had grown to 286,781. Ankara continued to grow rapidly during the latter half of the 20th century and eventually outranked Izmir as Turkey's second largest city, after Istanbul. Ankara's urban population
Altındağ, Ankara remains one of the poorer quarters of the capital. The hillside is covered with illegally built gecekondu housing, home to low-income families. Among the housing there are some municipal buildings, public housing, state housing for civil servants and lots of small workshops doing car repairs and other light mechanical work. The ancient Ankara Castle is in Altındağ and there has recently been investment in restoration work. With this architectural heritage, Altındağ is a member of the Norwich-based European Association of Historic Towns and Regions. Altındağ includes parts of the historic city of Ankara, as well as the first National Assembly