This was the highlight of my visit to Ankara, the Eternal Resting Place of Atatürk. Anıtkabir, which translates to “memorial tomb”, serves as the final resting place of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the somewhat visionary founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey. Following Atatürk’s death on 10 November 1938, his remains were initially kept at the Ethnography Museum of Ankara until a suitable monument could be constructed. To select a design that reflected the grandeur of his legacy, an international competition was held, which was eventually won by Turkish architects Emin Onat and Orhan Arda.
Construction of the massive complex began in 1944 on a prominent hill then known as Rasattepe and was completed in 1953. On 10 November 1953, the fifteenth anniversary of his death, Atatürk’s casket was ceremoniously moved to the Hall of Honour within the newly finished mausoleum. It’s entirely fair to suggest that this is an enormous place for a mausoleum and it is treated with huge respect by very many Turks and it’s one of the most visited locations in the country. There’s a security process to get in, but it all feels organised and well managed.
So, given all that excitement, expect more posts on this…..