ANITKABİR – MAUSOLEUM of ATATÜRK

Brief History

After Atatürk passed away on November 10, 1938, a commission formed by the government of the time was assigned to choose the location of Anıtkabir. At the end of the work of the commission, it was decided by a majority of the votes to build the Anıtkabir in Rasattepe, which is 906 meters above sea level. An international competition was opened on 1 March 1941 by the same commission. A total of 47 projects from Turkey, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, France and Czechoslovakia participated in this competition. Three of these projects were awarded by the commission. In accordance with the competition conditions of the project, the right to choose the winner was given to the government. Turkish architects Prof. Dr. Emin ONAT and Assoc. Dr. Orhan ARDA's project was decided to be built as a mausoleum.

The construction, which started on October 9, 1944, was completed in 4 stages over a period of 9 years.

On November 10, 1953, Atatürk's body was taken from the Ethnography Museum, where it has been temporarily preserved since 1938, and buried in Anıtkabir, his final resting place, with a great ceremony

Anıtkabir was built on an area of 750,000 square meters. Approximately 120,000 square meters of this area is the Monument Block, and the rest is Peace Park.

The monument block consists of 17 sections. The section you are currently viewing is the "Mausoleum" section of the Monument Block.

Mausoleum

In the middle of the 42-step stairs leading up to the mausoleum, which is the most important part of Anıtkabir, there is the "Oratory Chair". The facade of the marble lectern is decorated with circular geometric motifs. In the middle of the front façade of the lectern, Atatürk's phrase "Sovereignty belongs to the nation unconditionally" is written. The Chair is the work of Kenan YONTUÇ.

The mausoleum was built on a rather long rectangular plan, 75 meters deep, 52 meters wide and 17 meters high.

It is framed by eight columns at the front and rear and fourteen columns on the sides. The height of these columns is 14 meters 40 centimetres. At the end of the stairs, on the front of the Mausoleum, there are two important texts on the left and right. On the left, Atatürk's Address to the Youth, and on the right, Atatürk's "Speech" on the 10th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Republic, is written in gold leaf on a stone relief.

The interior of the mausoleum:

This place is called the "Hall of Honor". The Hall of Honor is entered through very high bronze doors. On the right side of the entrance is Atatürk's last message to the Turkish Army on October 29, 1938, and on the left is the message of condolence that the second president İsmet İNÖNÜ said to the Turkish nation on November 21, 1938, on Atatürk's passing into eternity.

There is the symbolic tomb of Atatürk inside a large window just opposite the entrance. The tomb weighs 40 tons is made of one piece of marble and was brought from Osmaniye. The section where the tomb is located is covered with white Afyon marble. The floor of the Hall of Honor is covered with red, black, green and tiger skin marbles brought from Adana and Hatay, and the walls from Afyon and Bilecik.

The ceiling and side gallery ceilings consisting of 27 beams are decorated with gilded mosaics consisting of Turkish carpet and kilim patterns. Ceiling height is 17 meters. There are 12 torches on the side walls. The top of the mausoleum is covered with a lead roof.

Parts that make up the Monument Block:

1. Independence Tower

2. Freedom Tower

3. The Way of the Lions

4. Ceremonial Ground

5. Mehmetçik Area

6. Victory Tower

7. İsmet İnönü Tomb

8. Peace Tower

9. 23 April Tower

10. National Pact Tower

11. Revolution Tower

12. Mausoleum

13. Republic Tower

14. Defence of Law Tower

15. Flagpole

16. 10th Anniversary Speech

17. Youth Address