The mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, was built in 1953 .Today this is the most important sight of Ankara, at least for the Turks .Inside the mausoleum is the Ataturk Museum and the War of Independence, where a large collection of Atatürk's memorabilia and personal items is on display, and you can see the panoramas of the battlefields .Turks still treat Ataturk with great respect, and therefore millions of people visit the mausoleum every year, and on public holidays a huge number of people gather here - April 23 (National Sovereignty Day and Children's Day), May 19 (Ataturk Memorial Day), August 30 (Victory Day) and October 29 (Republic Day) .

Anitkabir was built on the Razateppe hill, which at that time was located almost in the center of the city, and is clearly visible from any part of it. The cornerstone was laid in 1944, and the construction of the complex, divided into four stages, took 9 years. White, red, yellow and black travertine, like marble, was brought from all parts of the country, including marble with a tiger pattern from Athena for interior decoration and a monolithic stone block for a sarcophagus weighing 40 tons.

The complex consists of four parts: the pedestrian Lion Road, about 250 m long, along which 12 pairs of stone lions are set; ceremonial square at the end of the road, which can accommodate 15 thousand .a man laid out with a multicolored travertine, the Hall of Honor and the Peace Park .It is the Hall of Honor that is associated with Anitkabir: here in the room of traditional octagonal form with pyramidal vault, laid out with golden mosaic, the remains of the first president are settled .The World Park is named after Atatürk's famous saying "The world of the house - peace in the whole world"; it planted about 50 thousand .trees donated by different countries .

In the architectural sense, Anitkabir fully reflects the features of the period that historians of Turkish architecture classify as the second national architectural movement. This period is characterized by monumental, symmetrical buildings, built of polished stone, while a strong emphasis was placed on detailing. All these characteristics are distinguished also by Anitkabir, where they are combined with Ottoman and Seljuk details in the design and decoration. An example is the decoration of the Hall of Honor and the cornices of the towers.

On the territory of Anıtkabir there are 10 square towers with pyramidal roofs, symbolizing the 10 ideals of the Turkish people; each tower has its own name. At the top of all towers are placed bronze arrowheads, as in traditional tents of Turkish nomads, and inside you can see geometric frescoes with ornaments created on the motives of traditional carpets. Also in the ornaments you can find Atatürk's quotes related to the theme of the concrete tower.

Ataturk Museum is worth a visit, even if you are not very interested in military history. The changes that took place in the country due to Ataturk were really global, therefore the museum expositions, bright and qualitatively designed, equally concern the first president of the republic and the history of the country in the 20th century as a whole. Those who categorically do not want to go inside, can see the change of honor guard or admire the city from the hill.

Practical information

To get to Anitkabir, you need to take the metro to Tandogan station, and then walk about 1, 5 km up the hill.

Opening hours: The mausoleum is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00 (in the winter until 16:00). The museum closes for lunch from 12:00 to 13:00.

Free admission.