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The Anitkabir (Monumental
Tomb), crowning a prominent hill
in the center of
Ankara about two km west of Kizilay
along Gazi Mustafa Kemal Bulvari,
is the Mausoleum
of Kemal
Atatürk, founder and first
president of the Turkish
Republic. It's well worth a visit.
You enter the tomb complex between
two square kiosks and several stylized
statues. The kiosk on the right shelters
a model of the Anitkabir complex and
photos taken during its construction.
Continue along a monumental
avenue lined with neo-Hittite
stone lion statues to reach the main
courtyard.
On the right as you enter the courtyard
is the cenotaph of General
Ismet Inönü
beneath the western colonnade. Inönü (EE-ner-new),
victorious general in the battle of
that name during Turkey's War
of Independence,
was Kemal Atatürk's
friend, comrade in arms, chief of staff,
diplomat,
prime minister and second president
of the Turkish
Republic.
Opposite the Inönü cenotaph
is the Anitkabir itself,
simple and timeless in style but grand
and imposing. High-stepping guards parade
before it.
As you climb the monumental
staircase to enter, note the inscriptions
in gold on either side, excerpts from
Atatürk's
speech given on the 10th anniversary
(1932) of the republic's proclamation.
You enter the mausoleum through huge
brass doors, removing your
hat out
of respect (a guard will remind you
if you forget to do so).
The huge hall, lined in red marble,
has simple mosaic decoration recalling
the many ages and civilizations of
Anatolia: Hittite, Hellenic, Roman,
Seljuk, Ottoman.
Before you on the north side is a
huge marble cenotaph cut
from a single block of stone. Atatürk's
actual tomb is beneath it.
On the east side of the courtyard,
a museum holds personal
effects and memorabilia of Atatürk,
as well as several of his official
automobiles. A multimedia
show about
his
life will fill you in on this most
important period in Turkish
history.
The Anitkabir is open
every day from 09:00 am to 17:00 (5
pm, till 16:00/4 pm in winter).
The museum closes for lunch from 12:00
noon to 13:00 (1 pm). Admission is
free.
To get to the Anitkabir,
take a taxi (probably not more than
YTL5
to YTL 7),
or the Ankaray to
the
Tandogan (TAHN-doh-ahn)
station and walk uphill about a mile
(1.5 km,
20
minutes), or take a taxi (about
YTL3).
Museum
of Anatolian Civilisations
Ankara
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