Anıtkabir

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the great leader of the Turkish War of Independence and of the Turkish reforms and founder of the Republic of Türkiye, lived for 57 years. His life was spent in the war he waged to win the independence of the Turkish homeland and in the reforms he carried out to raise the Turkish nation to the level of contemporary civilisation. The Great Leader passed away on 10 November 1938.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is a great leader who belongs to the history of humanity, the man who made Türkiye, with all its institutions, a member of modern civilisation. The idea of building a mausoleum that would represent his greatness in every respect and reflect his principles, his reforms and his commitment to modernisation emerged as the shared wish of a Turkish nation in deep mourning, and the decision to build it was taken. Its name, Anıtkabir, simply means “monument tomb”.

Rasattepe (Anıttepe)

Before Anıtkabir was built, Anıttepe was called Rasattepe (“Observatory Hill”) because of the observation station that stood there.

The hill had tumuli (burial mounds) of the Phrygian civilisation, which founded a state in Anatolia in the 12th century BC. Once it was decided to build Anıtkabir on Rasattepe, archaeological excavations were carried out to remove the tumuli. The finds from them are displayed at the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations.

Building Anıtkabir

After the design for Anıtkabir was chosen, the first step was to expropriate the land so that building could begin. Construction started with a grand foundation ceremony on 9 October 1944 and took nine years, in four stages.

Stage One: 1944–1945

The first stage, covering the ground levelling and the retaining wall of the Road of Lions, began on 9 October 1944 and was completed in 1945.

Stage Two: 1945–1950

The second stage, covering the mausoleum and the auxiliary buildings around the Ceremonial Square, began on 29 September 1945 and was completed on 8 August 1950. At this stage it was decided to prepare a “foundation design” for the monument’s mass using masonry and reinforced concrete, with a view to reducing the pressure on the foundations. By the end of 1947 the excavation and insulation of the mausoleum’s foundations were complete, and the steelwork for the 11-metre-high reinforced concrete foundation, designed to prevent any subsidence, was nearly finished.

The entrance towers and much of the road layout, the tree nursery, the planting and most of the irrigation system were also completed.

Stage Three: 1950

The third stage covered the roads up to the monument, the Road of Lions, the stone paving of the Ceremonial Square and of the mausoleum’s upper floor, the stairs, setting the sarcophagus stone in place and the building services.

Stage Four: 1950–1953

The fourth stage covered the floor of the Hall of Honour, the lower floors of the vaults, the stone profiles around the Hall of Honour and the eaves decoration. It began on 20 November 1950 and was completed on 1 September 1953.

The “Anıtkabir Project” included a vaulted section of the mausoleum rising above the colonnade. On 4 December 1951 the government asked the architects whether the building could be finished faster by reducing the 28-metre height of the Hall of Honour.

After their studies, the architects reported that the Hall of Honour could be covered with a reinforced concrete ceiling instead of a stone vault. This also removed the load a vault would place on the ground and the technical problems it would cause.

For the exterior facing over the concrete, porous travertine of various colours, which is easy to work, was used, and marble for the interior of the mausoleum.

The white travertine of the sculpture groups, the lion statues and the mausoleum columns came from the Pınarbaşı district of Kayseri, and the white travertine of the towers’ inner walls from Polatlı and Malıköy. Black and red travertine from Boğazköprü in Kayseri was used for the floors of the Ceremonial Square and the towers, and yellow travertine from Eskipazar in Çankırı for the victory reliefs, the outer walls of the Hall of Honour and the columns around the Ceremonial Square.

The cream, red and black marbles of the Hall of Honour floor came from Çanakkale, Hatay and Adana; the “tiger skin” marble of its inner side walls from Afyon; and the green marble from Bilecik. The 40-tonne monolithic sarcophagus stone came from the Osmaniye district of Adana, and the white marble facing its sides from Afyon.

The Architecture of Anıtkabir

In Turkish architecture, the years 1940–1950 are known as the “Second National Architecture Period”. Buildings of this period tend to be monumental and symmetrical and are built of cut stone. Anıtkabir has the features of this period.

Alongside them, Seljuk and Ottoman architectural features and ornament appear often at Anıtkabir.

On the exterior, for example, where the walls meet the roof, the towers are wrapped on all four sides by the border known in Seljuk stonework as the “saw-tooth”. The stone ornaments called the wheel of fortune (çarkıfelek) and the rosette, used in parts of Anıtkabir (the Mehmetçik Tower and the Museum Directorate), are also prominent in Seljuk and Ottoman art.

With all these features one of the finest examples of its period, Anıtkabir covers about 750,000 m² and is divided into two parts: the Peace Park and the Monument Block.

The Peace Park

Anıtkabir rises within the Peace Park, inspired by Atatürk’s motto “Peace at home, peace in the world” and planted with saplings brought from various countries and from regions of Türkiye.

Trees and saplings were brought from Afghanistan, the USA, Germany, Austria, Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, France, India, Iraq, the United Kingdom, Spain, Israel, Sweden, Italy, Japan, Canada, Cyprus, Egypt, Norway, Portugal, Yugoslavia and Greece. Today the Peace Park has about 48,500 ornamental trees, shrubs and plants of 104 species.

The Monument Block

Anıtkabir’s Monument Block has three parts.

1. The Road of Lions
2. The Ceremonial Square
3. The Mausoleum

Entering Anıtkabir by the Tandoğan gate, the road through the Peace Park leads to the wide flight of 26 steps at the start of the Road of Lions. At the top of the steps, facing each other, stand the Independence and Freedom towers.

There are ten towers in the Anıtkabir complex, placed symmetrically. They are named after the high ideals that shaped our nation and state. The towers are alike in plan and structure: each stands on a nearly square rectangular plan of 12 x 14 x 7.20 m and is covered by a pyramidal roof. At the tip of each roof is a bronze spearhead like those seen on old Turkish tents. Geometric ornament taken from old Turkish kilim patterns is applied in fresco technique.

The inner walls of each tower also carry a composition related to its name and sayings of Atatürk.

Independence Tower

The relief inside the Independence Tower, at the right-hand start of the Road of Lions, shows a young man standing and holding a sword in both hands, beside an eagle perched on a rock. In mythology and Seljuk art the eagle is a symbol of strength and independence; the young man with the sword represents the Turkish nation defending its independence. The relief is by Zühtü Müridoğlu.

The tower walls also carry these words of Atatürk on independence as an inscribed border:

“Just when our nation seemed to be ending in the most terrible destruction, the voice of our ancestors, calling their children to rise against captivity, rose in our hearts and called us to the final War of Independence.” (1921)

“Life means struggle and combat. Success in life is possible only by succeeding in that struggle.” (1927)

“We are a nation that wants life and independence, and for that alone, and only for that, we count our lives as nothing.” (1921)

“There is no such principle as begging for fairness and mercy. The Turkish nation and the future children of Türkiye must never forget this for a moment.” (1927)

“This nation has never lived without independence; it cannot and will not. Either independence or death.” (1919)

Inside the tower are a model of Anıtkabir and illuminated panels introducing it.

Freedom Tower

The relief inside the Freedom Tower, at the left-hand start of the Road of Lions, shows an angel holding a sheet of paper, beside a rearing horse. The angel symbolises the sanctity of independence, and the paper in her hand the “Declaration of Freedom”. The horse is a symbol of freedom and independence. The relief is by Zühtü Müridoğlu.

The tower walls carry these words of Atatürk on freedom:

“What matters is that the Turkish nation lives as a respected and honourable nation. This can only be achieved through full independence. However rich and prosperous it may be, a nation without independence cannot rise above the position of a servant before civilised humanity.” (1927)

“In my view, honour, dignity, integrity and humanity can endure in a nation only if that nation has its freedom and independence.”

“Freedom, equality and justice all rest on national sovereignty.”

“Throughout our history we have been a nation that symbolises freedom and independence.”

Inside the tower there is a photo exhibition of the construction of Anıtkabir and samples of the stone used to build it.

The Women’s Sculpture Group

In front of the Independence Tower is a sculpture group of three women in national dress. The two at the sides hold a thick wreath that reaches the ground; made of ears of wheat, it represents our fertile homeland. The woman on the left holds out a bowl, praying for God’s mercy on Atatürk, and the woman in the middle covers her face with her hand and weeps.

The group expresses how Turkish women remained proud, dignified and determined even in the deep grief of Atatürk’s death. It is by Hüseyin Özkan. In front of the Freedom Tower is a group of three men. The man on the right, with his helmet and heavy greatcoat, represents the Turkish soldier; beside him, holding a book, are Turkish youth and the educated citizen, and a little behind them, in local dress, the Turkish villager. The faces of all three express deep grief together with the Turkish nation’s particular dignity and strength of will. This group is also by Hüseyin Özkan.

The Road of Lions

Built to prepare visitors for Atatürk’s presence, the 262-metre road is lined on both sides by 24 seated lion statues. Because of the importance Atatürk gave to Turkish and Anatolian history, the lions are made in the style of the Hittites, who built a civilisation in Anatolia, and they represent strength and calm. The statues are by Hüseyin Özkan.

The Ceremonial Square

At the end of the Road of Lions, the Ceremonial Square measures 129 x 84.25 m. Holding 15,000 people, its floor is decorated with 373 carpet and kilim patterns made of black, red, yellow and white travertine.

Mehmetçik Tower

At the end of the Road of Lions, on the right, stands the Mehmetçik Tower (Mehmetçik is the affectionate name for the Turkish soldier). The relief on its outer face shows a soldier leaving home for the front: a sad but proud mother, her hand on her son’s shoulder, sends him off to fight for the homeland. The relief is by Zühtü Müridoğlu.

The tower walls carry Atatürk’s sayings about Mehmetçik and Turkish women:

“The heroic Turkish soldier understood the meaning of the battles in Anatolia and fought with a new spirit.” (1921)

“Nowhere in the world, in no nation, can one speak of women’s labour greater than that of the Anatolian village woman.” (1923)

“No measure can be found for the sacrifices and heroism of the children of this nation.”

Inside the tower, books and souvenirs about Anıtkabir and Atatürk are offered to visitors.

Atatürk and Turkish Revolution Library

Between the Mehmetçik and Victory towers, in the unit housing the museum, the library and the Directorate of Cultural Activities, is the “Atatürk and Turkish Revolution Library”. A specialist library with books in Turkish and foreign languages on Atatürk, the national struggle and the reforms, it serves researchers and readers from all walks of life on weekdays from 09:00 to 12:30 and 13:30 to 17:00.

Victory Tower

The tower walls carry the dates of Atatürk’s three most important victories and his sayings about victory.

Inside the tower is the gun carriage that carried Atatürk’s body from Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul on 19 November 1938 and handed it over to the navy at Sarayburnu.

The Tomb of İsmet İnönü

Between the Peace and Victory towers, in the middle of the open-sided colonnade, is the symbolic sarcophagus of İsmet İnönü, Atatürk’s closest comrade-in-arms, commander of the Western Front in the national struggle and second President of the Republic, who died on 25 December 1973. The burial chamber is on the floor below.

İsmet İnönü was buried at Anıtkabir on 28 December 1973 by decision of the Council of Ministers.

Peace Tower

On the inner wall of the tower is a relief expressing Atatürk’s principle “Peace at home, peace in the world”. It shows villagers working the land and, beside them, a soldier holding out his sword to protect them. The soldier symbolises the Turkish army as the firm and secure source of peace, under whose protection people carry on their daily lives. The relief is by Nusret Suman.

The tower walls carry these words of Atatürk on peace:

“The citizens of the world should be educated so that they turn away from envy, greed and hatred.” (1935)

“Peace at home, peace in the world.”

“Unless the life of the nation is in danger, war is murder.” (1923)

Inside the tower are the Lincoln ceremonial and official cars Atatürk used between 1935 and 1938.

23 April Tower

On the inner wall of the tower is a relief representing the opening of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye on 23 April 1920. A standing woman holds a sheet of paper inscribed “23 April 1920”, and in her other hand a key symbolising the opening of the Assembly. The relief is by Hakkı Atamulu.

The tower walls carry Atatürk’s sayings about the opening of the Assembly:

“There was only one decision: to found a new, independent Turkish state based on national sovereignty and bound by no conditions.” (1919)

“The one and only true representative of the State of Türkiye is the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye.”

“Our point of view is that power, strength, sovereignty and government should be given directly to the people and kept in the hands of the people.”

The tower displays the private Cadillac Atatürk used from 1936 to 1938.

The Flagpole

In the middle of the 28 steps leading up to the Ceremonial Square on the Çankaya side, the Turkish flag flies from a tall single-piece pole. Made specially in America, the 33.53-metre pole is the tallest single-piece steel flagpole in Europe; 4 metres of it are below the base. It was made in his own flagpole factory by Nazmi Cemal, an American citizen of Turkish origin, and presented to Anıtkabir in 1946. In the relief on the base, the torch symbolises Turkish civilisation, the sword the power to attack, the helmet the power to defend, the oak branch victory and the olive branch peace. The Turkish flag flies above these high values: defending the homeland, winning victory, keeping the peace and building civilisation. The relief is by Kenan Yontuç.

National Pact Tower

The relief inside this tower, at the entrance to the museum, symbolises a nation united as one body: four hands placed one on top of another on the hilt of a sword. The composition expresses the national oath sworn to save the Turkish homeland. The relief is by Nusret Suman.

The tower walls carry these words of Atatürk on the National Pact (Misak-ı Milli):

“It is the iron hand of the nation that wrote the national oath, the general rule of our liberation, into the pages of history.” (1923)

“We want to live free and independent within our national borders.” (1921)

“Nations that cannot find their national identity are the prey of other nations.” (1923)

In the middle of the tower is a desk where delegations attending ceremonies at Anıtkabir sign the special book. Photographs of important ceremonies held at Anıtkabir are also shown on the news panels in this tower, which is the entrance to the museum.

Anıtkabir Atatürk Museum

In line with the terms of the Anıtkabir design competition, the section between the National Pact and Revolution towers was set aside as a museum, and the Anıtkabir Atatürk Museum opened on 21 June 1960. It displays objects Atatürk used, gifts presented to him and his clothes.

The museum also displays Atatürk’s medals and decorations and belongings of his donated to the museum by his adopted daughters A. Afet İnan, Rukiye Erkin and Sabiha Gökçen.

Revolution Tower

This tower, a continuation of the museum, displays clothes Atatürk wore. In the relief on its inner wall, a torch about to go out, held by a weak, feeble hand, symbolises the collapsing Ottoman Empire. Another torch, shining and raised to the sky by a strong hand, symbolises the new Republic of Türkiye and the reforms Atatürk carried out to bring the Turkish nation to the level of modern civilisation. The relief is by Nusret Suman.

The tower walls carry these words of Atatürk on the reforms:

“If a society does not march towards the same goal with all its women and men together, there is no technical possibility or scientific chance of its progressing and becoming civilised.”

“We take our inspiration not from the heavens or from an unknown world, but directly from life.”

This tower, used as the clothing section of the museum, has a life-size wax figure of Atatürk made by Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Büyükerşen, former rector of Anadolu University.

Republic Tower

At the entrance to the Art Gallery, this tower’s walls carry Atatürk’s words on the Republic:

“Our greatest strength and most reliable support is that we have understood our national sovereignty, have placed it in the hands of the people in practice, and have truly proved that we can keep it in the people’s hands.”

Inside the tower are models of the Monastir Military High School, where Atatürk studied, the Sivas and Erzurum Congress buildings and the first Grand National Assembly building, with photographs from those periods.

Art Gallery

In this section between the Republic and Defence of Rights towers, Atatürk’s private library is on display.

On the walls are oil paintings showing Atatürk with foreign statesmen who visited him, by the painter Rahmi Pehlivanlı.

The gallery also has a screening area where documentaries about Atatürk, the national struggle and Anıtkabir are shown.

Defence of Rights Tower

The relief on the outer face of this tower represents the Defence of Rights (Müdafaa-i Hukuk) movement, the foundation of our national unity in the War of Independence. It shows a man holding a sword in one hand and stretching the other forward, telling the enemy crossing our borders to “Stop!”. The great tree under his outstretched hand represents our homeland, and the man protecting it our nation united for liberation. The relief is by Nusret Suman.

The tower walls carry Atatürk’s words on the Defence of Rights:

“The essential thing is to make the national forces effective and the national will sovereign.” (1919)

“From now on the nation itself will take charge of its life, its independence and its whole existence.” (1923)

“History can never deny a nation’s blood, its rights or its existence.” (1919)

“The most essential and clearest desire and faith, born from the heart and conscience of the Turkish nation and inspiring it, had become clear: liberation.” (1927)

The tower hosts regular exhibitions on “Atatürk and the National Struggle”, and there is a model of the War College (Harbiye), where Atatürk studied.

Relief of the Battle of Sakarya

On the right of the composition are a young man, two horses, a woman and a man. In the early phase of the war, they have left their homes in the face of enemy attacks and taken to the roads to defend the country. The young man on the right turns back, raises his left hand and clenches his fist at the enemy, saying, “One day we will return and take our revenge.”

In front of this group are a cart stuck in the mud, struggling horses, a man and two women trying to turn the wheel, and a brave man standing as a kneeling woman offers him a sword. These figures represent the period before the Battle of Sakarya. To their left, two women and a child sitting on the ground symbolise our people under enemy occupation, waiting for the Turkish army. Above them flies an angel of victory offering a wreath to the Commander-in-Chief, Mustafa Kemal.

At the end of the composition, the seated woman symbolises the motherland, the kneeling young man the Turkish army that won the Battle of Sakarya, and the oak tree victory. The motherland points to the oak tree, symbol of the Turkish army’s victory. The relief is by İlhan Koman.

Relief of the Battle of the Commander-in-Chief

On the left of the composition, a group of a village woman, a boy and a horse represents the nation preparing for war. In the next section Atatürk stretches out his hand and shows our armies their goal, saying, “Armies, your first objective is the Mediterranean. Forward!” The angel in front carries his command to distant horizons with her trumpet. The next section represents the sacrifice and heroism of the Turkish army carrying out Atatürk’s order: a brave man grasps the flag from the hand of a falling soldier, and a soldier in the trench with shield and sword symbolises the Turkish army’s attack. In front is the angel of victory, calling the Turkish army on with the Turkish flag in her hand. The relief is by Zühtü Müridoğlu.

The Mausoleum

In the middle of the 42 steps leading up to the mausoleum, the most important part of Anıtkabir, is the “speaker’s rostrum”. The face of the marble rostrum towards the Ceremonial Square is decorated with circular geometric motifs, and in the centre are Atatürk’s words “Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation”. The rostrum is by Kenan Yontuç.

The mausoleum stands on a long rectangular plan of 72 x 52 x 17 m and is surrounded by 14.40-metre columns: eight on the front and back and fourteen on the sides. On its facade are, on the left, Atatürk’s Address to Turkish Youth and, on the right, the speech he gave on the 10th anniversary of the Republic. The letters are gilded on carved stone.

The Hall of Honour

The Hall of Honour is entered through bronze doors. On the right of the entrance is Atatürk’s last message to the Turkish army, dated 29 October 1938, and on the left the message of condolence to the Turkish nation issued on 21 November 1938 by İsmet İnönü, the second President, on Atatürk’s death. These two inscriptions were added in 1981, the centenary of Atatürk’s birth.

Directly opposite the entrance, in the niche with the great window, is Atatürk’s symbolic sarcophagus. The sarcophagus stone is a single block of red marble weighing 40 tonnes, and the area around it is faced with white Afyon marble. The floor of the Hall of Honour is covered with marble from Adana and Hatay, and the side walls with red, black, green and “tiger skin” marble from Afyon and Bilecik.

The ceiling of the Hall of Honour, made of 27 beams, and the ceilings of the side galleries are decorated with mosaics. The hall is 17 metres high, with 12 bronze torches, six on each side wall. The mausoleum has a flat lead roof.

The Burial Chamber

Atatürk’s body rests on the ground floor of the mausoleum, in a grave dug directly into the earth. The burial chamber, directly below the symbolic sarcophagus in the Hall of Honour on the floor above, is octagonal in the Seljuk and Ottoman style, with a pyramidal cone, and its ceiling is decorated with geometric mosaics. The floor and walls are faced with black, white and red marble. In the middle of the chamber, facing the qibla, is a red marble cenotaph. Around it are brass vases holding soil sent from every province of Türkiye and from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Getting to Anıtkabir: address Anıt Caddesi, Tandoğan, Ankara. Tel: (312) 231 79 75