Ataturk’s Mausoleum

Ataturk’s Mausoleum, the Anit Kabir in Turkish, stands on top of a small hill in a beautiful park. You can walk uphill to the mausoleum for about 20 minutes; otherwise you can take a taxi. The massive courtyard of the tomb is walled by colonnaded walkways and museum rooms displaying various events of Ataturk’s life. You can also see his official automobiles and a scale model of the tomb and photos of its construction. In front of the western colonnade is the sarcophagus of Ismet Inonu (1884-1973), Ataturk’s close friend and chief of staff.

A reoublican general, he was a hero of the Battle of Inonu (from which he took his name), diplomat, prime minister, and second president of the Republic. As you approach the tomb proper, the high-stepping guards will jump to action. Past the colonnade, look left and right at the gilded inscriptions, which are quotations from Ataturk’s speech celebrating the republic’s 10th anniversary in 1932. As you enter the tomb through its huge bronze doors, you must remove your hat. The lofty hall is lined in marble and sparingly decorated with mosaics. At the northern end stands an immense marble cenotaph, cut from a single piece of stone. The actual tomb is beneath it. A visit to the tomb is one of the “must-sees” of Ankara.