Anitkabir
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Why go
- The Lion Road, with twelve lion statues on each side lined with roses and junipers, leads to the ceremonial square.
- The Battle of Sakarya and Battle of Dumlupınar reliefs that flank the 42-step staircase to the mausoleum.
- Soil from all 67 provinces and from Cyprus fills brass vases around the founder's remains.
- The Hall of Honour ceiling mosaic, which combines eleven motifs from 15th- and 16th-century carpet designs.
About the work
- Designers
- Emin Onat and Orhan Arda (design); Nezih Eldem (mosaic motifs) İlhan Koman was assigned the Battle of Sakarya relief beside the stairs; Tarık Levendoğlu won the tender for the fresco-style decorations on the columns.
- Material
- Reinforced concrete, faced with marble and travertine Yellow travertine from Eskipazar clads the mausoleum building.
- Size
- 72 × 52 m at ground level, 17 m high Its colonnade has 44 square columns, each 14.4 m high.
Interesting facts10
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The mosaics were made in Italy and shipped piece by piece, because Turkey could not produce them at the time.
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The designers took the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus as their model.
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The roof was dropped from the project, leaving a columned building like a Hellenic temple.
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The inscriptions across the complex use only the founder's own words.
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Anıt hill was built artificially as a burial mound; it took the name Anıttepe only after the tomb complex was built.
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Sabiha Gürayman, a pioneering female graduate, served as construction supervisor.
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The cenotaph sits at the far back of the Hall of Honour (Şeref Holü), not in its centre as visitors might expect.
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Reliefs on the approach walls blend socialist-style figures with Hittite art.
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373 carpet
The central square's floor has 373 carpet patterns made of coloured travertine stones.
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24 tribes
The number 24 in the design stands for the 24 tribes that migrated into the region.
Anıtkabir - Wikipedia
Shorts
Photo spots
- The foot of the staircaseStand at the foot of the staircase, with the Battle of Sakarya and Battle of Dumlupınar reliefs on either side. The mausoleum fills the frame above.Ceremonial square, in front of the mausoleum On the map
- The Lion RoadShoot the lion statues from the start of the road, which is paved in travertine for 262 metres toward the square.Start of the Lion Road, the entrance walk to the ceremonial square On the map
- Ceremonial square (Tören Meydanı)From the square, look along the colonnades to the mausoleum, which stands on one side of the square. The square can hold up to 15,000 visitors.Central square, 129 by 84.25 m On the map
History
Work was split into four sections, and the first was finished by the close of 1945. Landscape planning began in 1946 under Sadri Aran. After the 1950 elections, the Democrat Party government set up a commission to finish sooner and save money. The final section went to the company of Muzaffer Budak in June 1951, and the complex was finished later than planned.
- 1938Atatürk dies at Dolmabahçe Palace in İstanbul. His remains are first kept at the Ankara Ethnography Museum until a tomb is ready.
- 1939A party group chooses Rasattepe, a barren, treeless hill, as the site.
- 1942The design by Emin Onat and Orhan Arda wins the international competition, chosen from 49 projects.
- 1944The groundbreaking ceremony is held on 9 October, and construction begins.
- 1953The complex is completed. On 10 November Atatürk's remains are moved into the mausoleum.
Show all
- 1973The tomb of İsmet İnönü is placed in the complex.
- 1981A law keeps only two graves here: Atatürk's and İnönü's.
Legends and hidden details
- The first plan was to bury all republican presidents here; it was dropped to focus on Atatürk's memory.
- Peace Park is planted with trees from 24 nations.
- The coffin was pulled to the site by 136 young officers in 1953.
- The twelve lion statues along the Lion Road are symbols used by the Hittites.
Best time to visit
- Official ceremonies are held here on national holidays and on 10 November, the anniversary of Atatürk's death.
- On 10 November, tens of thousands gather here for two minutes of silence at the exact hour of his death.
- The site receives more than three million visitors a year.
Accessibility
- Three steps lead up from the Lion Road to the ceremonial square.
- A 42-step staircase, 8 m high, leads up to the mausoleum.
Sources: Anıtkabir - Wikipedia · Anıtkabir - Wikipedia · Anıtkabir - Wikipedia · Anıtkabir - Wikipedia · checked 19 Oct 2026
- Website
- anitkabir.tsk.tr/
- Phone
- +90 312 231 18 61
Questions and answers
Where is Anıtkabir?
Anıtkabir stands on Anıt hill (Anıttepe) at 31 Akdeniz Caddesi in the Mebusevleri neighborhood of Çankaya, Ankara. It lies in the government quarter of Çankaya. Two entrances, Tandoğan and Anıttepe, lead to the tomb complex.
Can I see the ceremony at Anıtkabir on 10 November?
Official ceremonies are held on national holidays and on 10 November. On national holidays the president goes there to open the festivities. On 10 November sirens sound across the country, flags fly at half-mast for the day, and broadcasting pauses during two minutes of silence.
What steps are on the route?
Three steps lead up to the ceremonial square, and a 42-step staircase, 8 m high, leads up to the mausoleum.
What is not allowed inside the Anıtkabir mausoleum?
Prayers and walking around the tomb are not allowed inside the mausoleum.
What is there to see at Anıtkabir besides the mausoleum?
The complex has ten towers, two statue groups and a museum on Atatürk and the Turkish War of Independence (1919–1922). The Peace Park, a wooded area, surrounds the monument structures.
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