Undoubtedly, many who have been to Turkey have noticed that the local residents still cherish the memory of the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Every year on November 10, the day of the ruler's death, the entire Turkey comes to a standstill to honor its first president with a minute of silence.
Today, I will tell you about my visit to Anıtkabir—the mausoleum of Atatürk. It is located in the capital city of Ankara.
How to visit Atatürk's Mausoleum
The landmark is situated in a large park in the central part of Ankara, not far from the exit of the Anadolu metro station. I walked here from the high-speed train pavilion, and the pedestrian path to the park entrance took about 15 minutes.
Entrance to the park and mausoleum is free.
A Bit of History
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk passed away in 1938, and for 15 years, his body was kept in the Ethnography Museum of the city. Construction of a vast memorial complex for the burial of the leader began in 1944. Interestingly, this place was previously occupied by ancient burial mounds. Archaeological excavations were conducted during the preparation of the construction site, and the artifacts discovered then are now exhibited in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, which I will tell you about later.
Upon entering the territory, visitors of the complex walk along the road in the park area called the Park of Peace. The length of this route is about 650 meters. Saplings were brought here from twenty different countries, and there are more than 48,000 trees in total.
After a stroll among the greenery, tourists reach the Lion Road, where 24 lion statues are installed. In the northern part of the pedestrian zone, two towers are located, where various exhibits related to Atatürk can be seen. There are ten such pavilions on the territory, each tower has its own name, and one of them even houses a small cinema.
The Lion Road leads guests to a large square from which the massive main building of the complex is visible—the mausoleum of Atatürk. 42 steps lead to the entrance, and the dimensions of the structure are 72 × 52 × 17 meters. In the far part of the enormous main hall of the mausoleum, the sarcophagus made of red marble is visible. The burial place of the first Turkish president is directly beneath it.
I came across mentions that there is a museum and an art gallery here, but since I had very little time, I couldn't visit these pavilions. The next stop on my route through Ankara is the ruins of the Roman Baths, and I will tell you about this landmark in the next article.
Have a nice trip!
