Film production in Ankara

Between June and December, usable daylight in Ankara moves by 5h 38min — from 14h 59min down to 9h 21min. An exterior day in December is a different day from one in June. This page carries sunrise, sunset and golden-hour times for all twelve months, the climate profile.

Light and shooting hours

On 15 June, the sun in Ankara rises at 05:20 and sets at 20:19; the evening golden hour starts at 19:39 and runs for 41 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:04–17:25, with a 43-minute golden-hour window from 16:42.

In practice, a spread of 5h 38min means a schedule that works here in summer does not work in winter at the same location — with the same setup count, the hours simply are not there.

Sun times for Ankara — computed for 2026, timezone Europe/Istanbul
MonthSunriseSunsetDaylightGolden hour (evening, from)
January08:0917:489h 39min17:06
February07:4318:2410h 42min17:47
March07:0218:5511h 54min18:20
April06:1219:2713h 15min18:50
May05:3519:5714h 22min19:18
June05:2020:1914h 59min19:39
July05:3320:1714h 44min19:38
August06:0119:4713h 47min19:10
September06:3019:0012h 30min18:24
October06:5918:1111h 12min17:34
November07:3417:3410h 00min16:54
December08:0417:259h 21min16:42

Blue hour and shooting windows

Blue hour in Ankara starts at 20:39 in June and ends at 20:52 — a window of 13 minutes. In December it is 12 minutes from 17:44. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.

Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:55) and September (19:00) there are 5 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.

Weather and washout risk

Ankara averages 11 rain days in May and 2 in July. A three-day exterior shoot in May statistically loses 1.1 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.

Climate profile for Ankara (monthly means)
MonthMean temperatureRain daysSunshine hours/day
January0.8 °C106.8
February3.7 °C87.7
March6.5 °C109.0
April11.9 °C810.6
May16.2 °C1111.8
June20.4 °C1013.1
July24.2 °C213.8
August25.0 °C313.1
September20.6 °C211.3
October14.3 °C39.9
November7.9 °C57.8
December3.1 °C86.8

Planning a shoot here

A schedule that ignores these numbers looks fine on paper and falls over on the day. TillyGen folds sun position, travel and crew availability straight into the schedule — if the exterior no longer fits before sunset in December, the plan says so, not the wrap report.

Frequently asked

When is golden hour in Ankara?

In June it starts at 19:39 and lasts 41 minutes; in December it starts at 16:42 and lasts 43 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.

How much daylight does a shoot day in Ankara get?

Between 9h 21min in December and 14h 59min in June. The 5h 38min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.

Which month is best for exteriors in Ankara?

Combining daylight and rain days, July comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.