mausoleum | Clune Gap Years

Walking the Sights

01/09/2025

Once J arose from his slumbers in the Ankara hotel, we did our own walking tour around Ankara. We liked it as by far fewer tourists than Istanbul.

*The Hittite symbols were once the Ankara emblem*

*The Ethnographical Museum which house Ataturk’s body until the mausoleum was built*

*And again. The Victory Monument. The folk at the bottom* *are 2 soldiers and a woman carrying a cannon ball to recognise the part women played in the war for independence*

*The* Column of Julian was built to honour Julianus, the last pagan Roman emperor. He declared war on the Persians and passed through in 362. The city folk were so excited at his visit (all of them?!), they *erected the obelisk. It is now in University grounds, but the nice guard let us through*

*Melike Hatun Mosque, only opened in 2017. Complete with exhibition halls, a congress centre, civilisations museum, meeting halls etc. Oh and a 5 storey car park. I like the elegant lines of it.*

*Genclik Park / Youth Park constructed from 1936 was one of Tutkey’s first urban parks. This is complete with an amusement park, a pond a theatre and various halls and cafeterias.*

*We walked back in the dark through the market, which was being closed up. Much preferred to Istanbul’s spice market crowds*

Supper local to the hotel. J keen, but I dissuaded him from the £30 (cheapest). bottle of wine. We imbibed back at the hotel room.

Ataturk Mausoleum and War of Independence Museum

02/08/2025

A 2.5km walk in a different direction to the Peace Park, which housed the Ataturk Mausoleum and independence museum. With all the recent travelling, I didn’t know what to expect as I’d not read up. Just knew the Aged Ps rated it and one of the motorhome repair guys said it was good.

Wow wow and triple wow. Perhaps we should experience more sights blind.

*The Peace Park has trees gifted by different nations. Great Britain’s submission was a cherry tree*

We climbed some steps between manikin still guards to the main square. Three corners displayed Ataturk’s state cars.

*Two Lincoln and one Caddy. Beautifully restored. Two were armour plated after assassination attempts*

Three different uniformed guards on duty; naval, army and air, I guess. They seamed to change the guard every 2.5-3 hours before total cramp set in. Seriously, the only movement was a slight rise and fall of their chests. Once in position, they were inspected … actually just their feet repositioned. I wondered if the inspector was tying their shoe laces together so they couldn’t move.

*At one changeover, the Last Post was played. It always makes me moist*

*Tomb of a subsequent PM foreground and Ataturk’s Mausoleum*

*The mausoleum. But actually Ataturk’s body is below behind closed doors*

The museum was free and the audio guide was only 36p. Totally NOT rip off the tourist. The gift shop and cafe were also very reasonably priced. Despite the queue, they controlled the speed of entry so it was manageable.

I knew how revered Ataturk was. Legally you can’t criticise him. And what an inspirational military leader he was. He’d figured considerably when we toured Gallipoli. At Amasya we’d seen where his manifesto was written and where he’d launched the Latin alphabet. There are images of him everywhere, with his blue eyes looking up as if he has divine inspiration.

*This image had alienated me to be honest*

Anyhow, I learned so much.

There were 3 large painted panoramas. One was Gallipoli, which we have visited.

I remember reading that Mustafa Kemal, before he obtained the surname Ataturk, inspired his forces by telling them it was their duty to die. Other soldiers would replace them to fight for the soil of Turkey

I had not realised quite how carved up Turkey was in 1919. And the citizens had no rights. The Sultan basically protected himself. Resistance was widespread but localised. Mustafa Kemal, war hero, consolidated efforts. The Greeks saw an opportunity to gain ground into Antalya which had been Greek centuries before. But Kemal coordinated the attack on Greek lines. Culminating in the population exchange of 1923/4. Atrocities committed on both sides, so I can completely now understand the Greek Turkish animosity that still exists. When we told Greeks we were coming to Turkey the standard response was a) why and b) be careful. Yet they share so much in cuisine and human nature. We have been bowled over by Turkish kindness and generosity.

The galleries and Audi guide told the stories of the wars and reforms really well. Ataturk (was given this name, when he introduced the law for everyone to choose a surname) was part of a government but had his enemies. There were various assassination attempts, but he died from sclerosis at 58. Apparently he like raki.

His legacy was total reform across all sectors. His main foci were agriculture, education and industry. Previously, Turkey had imported wheat. Women got the vote in 1930.

Lunch in Ankara then a taxi (couldn’t find the correct bus stop) out to fetch Jez. The guys did so much work in such a short space of time. We didn’t mind handing over £1000 (in £4 notes) as they deserved it and have been such a pleasure to deal with.

We’ve decamped to a lakeside basic campsite to do laundry and sort ourselves out. Back to Ankara on Thursday as one of our rear airbags is deflating.

23rd October 2024 – Value at Vouloubis

Dogs allowed, so no one had to take turns to sit outside with Corrie and Zoa. It’s a huge roman site that was an outpost of the Roman Empire. Still much to be excavated.

We spotted where the tour groups were standing, which alerted us to something of note. Mostly mosaics. Fairly well preserved, although how long will that remain the case with bring exposed to the elements. And a layer of sand dulling the colours. Twas on the outreaches of the Roman empire. €10pp. So totally good value.

Brian spoke to a mosaic restorer … she said the site is a major revenue source for the government. Very little of the ticket money is spent on preservation.

We stopped off after at Moulay Idriss Zerhoun. Famous for the mausoleum of Moulay Idriss, which non-Muslim are barred from entering. And supposedly, the only round minaret in Morocco. We failed to spot it despite the steep climb to viewpoints.

*The long corridor to the mausoleum. A wooden bar to prevent non Muslim entering. Muslims duck below to be reminded they are* *subservient*

*At least there were few motorbikes in these* *streets,* *just* *children and hopeful opportunistic* *tour* *guides,* *hoping* *for* *coins*

*Green roofs of the mausoleum complex. Couldn’t spot a round minaret*

Drinks in the square … it was explained that no ice cream anywhere. 😔 A waiter fetched out for J’s coke and Brian’s coffee. We watched near fisticuffs until the police calmed it down.

24th October – Meknes a Miss

Brian decided not to join us as he thought it’d be too hot today. So we had space in the car for our French campsite neighbours. They were stood by the road waiting for a bus that has no timetable. They’d waited 2 hours yesterday to go to Moulay Idriss. Only 30 mins each way, so I had a lot of practice speaking French.

The Mausoleum here just worth a visit. But the Kara Christian prison was closed. I’d read that it was a labyrinth of underground tunnels and rooms with no windows. Prisoners were dropped from above. Closed for renovation. The fortified walls were also being worked on. Spraying concrete over them. And all over the street lighting and pavements. Not worth going out of your way for.