Anıtkabir - Mausoleum of Atatürk
 Anıtkabir came about as an idea of and from
the desires of the Turkish people to erect a mausoleum for Gazi Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk),
founder of the Turkish Republic, revolutionary, brave soldier, great leader and
international figure. In order to choose the most suitable design for this special
project, an international contest was held with Prof. Emin Onat winning the contest.
Anıtkabir, situated on a hill called Rasattepe behind the Maltepe area of Ankara, covers
700.000 square meters of land and includes a Peace Park, which contains plants from all
parts of Turkey and the world. It took nine years to complete the mausoleum. On 10th
November 1953, fifteen years after Atatürk's death, his casket was taken from the Ethnographical Museum with great ceremony and was laid to
final rest in its assigned place in Anıtkabir.
Approaching Anıtkabir from Tandoğan Square, a driveway through the Park will bring
you to a set of stairs. Ascending the stairs you are greeted by the Independence and
Freedom Towers, two of the ten towers symbolizing the existence and high ideals of the
Turkish nation and state.
Independence Tower
To the right is the Independence Tower. Entering there is a relief of a youth, holding
a sword. The eagle coat of arms is form the Seljuk era and represents Turkish strength.
The youth represents the army, protector, of the Turkish nation; the eagle symbolizes the
power and strength of the nation.
The inscribed words are those of Atatürk:
To live means to struggle and fight. Success in life is possible only with success
in the struggle. (1927)
This nation has not lived, cannot live and will not live without independence.
Independence or death. (1919)
Freedom Tower
To the left is the Freedom Tower. Upon entering there is a relief of a horse
representing freedom. The young female angel is holding a "Declaration of
Freedom" in her hand.
Inscribed there on, are the words of Atatürk:
All through the course of our history we have been a nation that has always
symbolized freedom and independence.
In front of the Freedom Tower, there is a group of a statue of three men. The figure
holding a book represents the youth of Turkey, the helmeted figure represents the Turkish
soldier and the third one represent the Turkish farmer.
Opposite to that group, there is another group of statues of three women all dressed
alike. The two figures on the outside are holding wreaths of wheat and the one on the left
is also lifting an empty cup up to heaven, asking God for mercy on Atatürk. The woman in
the middle is crying as she covers her face with her hand. These three women together
express sorrow over the death of Atatürk.
The Lions' Road
The Lions' Road, lined by 24 statues of lions, leads the visitor to the mausoleum area.
In the Hittite Empire, once a great empire in Anatolia, lions symbolized power, strength
and protection. Also, Hittite art typically depicted lions in pairs.
The Defense Of Rights Tower
At the end of the Lion's Road, there is a large is a large open meeting area to the
left of which is the Defense of Rights Tower. After World War I many societies were formed
in various parts of the country to resist any occupation forces. The Defense of Rights
Tower is in honor of those societies that were later united by Atatürk. Symbolizing the
resistance to foreign occupation of the country, is a relief on one wall of a youth
leaning on his sword while stretching out his hand. By this stance he is saying to the
enemy - STOP.
The Mehmetçik Tower
Opposite the Defense of Rights Tower is the Soldier's Tower which portrays the soldier
leaving his home and going to the front.
Inscribed inside are sayings of Atatürk regarding soldiers and women:
The brave Turkish soldier has understood the meaning of the battle for Anatolia and
has fought for this ideal. (1921)
Nowhere in the world, in no nation, it is possible to mention the efforts of women,
above the women of the Anatolian villages. (1923)
The Victory Tower
On the outside walls are the words of Atatürk on he subject of historic victories:
There is no such thing as a line of defense. Only a surface to defend. That surface
consists of the entire Fatherland. Not one inch of our country can be abandoned unless
drenched with the blood of its people. (1921)
In the Victory Tower is the caisson that bore the casket of Atatürk's from Dolmabahçe
palace in Istanbul to the waiting fleet at Sarayburnu on 19th November, 1938.
After the Victory Tower there is a long open colonnaded porch, in the center of which
is the sarcophagus of Ismet Inönü, the second president of the Turkish Republic and
Atatürk's army companion. The roof of this porch is decorated with frescoes depicting
kilim designs.
The Peace Tower
In the tower at the end of this porch, there is a relief depicting village farmers at
work and a Turkish soldier, representing the Turkish military, with his sword drawn to
protect them. On the wall, there are some of Atatürk's sayings, regarding peace:
The citizens of the world should be brought up in such a way as to discourage
sentiments of jealousy, avarice and hate. (1935)
Peace at home; peace in the world.
Waging of war when the life of the nation is not threatened is a murderous crime.
(1923)
The two automobiles that Atatürk used on ceremonial and state occasions between 1935
and 1938 are also on display here.
The 23rd April Tower
The Grand National Assembly was opened on 23 the April, 1920, now a national holiday.
This tower, with its relief work, commemorates that historical date. The standing woman is
holding in one hand a paper with the opening date of the Grand National assembly written
on it. In her other hand there is a key, symbolizing the opening of the grand National
Assembly.
A saying of Atatürk that relates to the subject is inscribed on the wall:
The Turkish Grand National Assembly is the only, sole representative of the one,
true Turkish State.
The Flag Staff
Centered at the top of the steps that face the Çankaya district of Ankara there is a
flag pole made from one piece of metal on which proudly waves the Turkish flag. This 33
meter-long pole was made in American especially for this purpose and is the longest
single-piece flag pole in Europe. Symbolic relief works is at the base: a torch of
civilization, a sword of attack, a helmet of defense, an oak branch of victory and on
olive branch of peace. Thus, the Turkish flag at Anıtkabir waves over this depiction of
eternal values such as national defense, victory, maintenance of peace and establishment
of civilization.
The Victory Reliefs
On each side of the steps leading up to the Mausoleum is a composition done in relief
depicting Atatürk and Turkish history in different stages. The Sakarya Campaign is
depicted on the right side. As a whole, the relief portrays the entire Turkish nation:
Men, woman, young and old, all dependent on each other to rout the invading enemy forces.
The Mausoleum
The Mausoleum is rectangular and is surrounded by columns on all four sides. On the
front of the Mausoleum to the left is inscribed Atatürk's speech to the Turkish Youth. To
the right is his speech presented on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Republic.
The Hall of Honor
The most important place in Anıtkabir and the Mausoleum as a whole is the Hall of
Honor. The fact that Atatürk's tomb is under this room gives Hall of Honor its special
significance. For this reason the other parts of Anıtkabir, described so for, complement
the Hall of Honor which, itself, completes the whole.
Anıtkabir finds its completion in this section. Entering the Hall of Honor, on the
right side are Atatürk's last words to the army (1938) and on the left is the speech of
İsmet İnönü in which he said of Atatürk, "The Fatherland is indebted you."
The walls and floor or the Hall of Honor are covered with marble. On the ceiling, there
are Turkish kilim motifs of the 15th and 16th centuries.
Atatürk's sarcophagus rests in front of spacious open windows at the end of the hall
of Honor. The sarcophagus itself is one piece of marble on which there is no decoration.
Atatürk's final resting place is on the ground floor directly beneath the sarcophagus.
Soil from all over the country has been brought and placed under the resting place of
Atatürk.
The Republic Tower
Leaving the Hall of Honor one goes to the Republic Tower and Art Gallery. Housed in the
Art Gallery are oil paintings of Atatürk, stamps and coins bearing his image and his
personal library. |
