A Rainy Day in Ankara

So what do you do on a rainy day in Ankara.  My first thoughts were to stay indoors, but no, this is Bayram and I have a week off work.  The rainy season is approaching so I had better get used to it.

There is one place that the students have been insisting that we should visit, somewhere that is very important to them and the people of Turkey.  So we quickly checked the directions, and set off to catch the bus to Kizilay.  Once we had arrived at Kizilay we headed for the Metro and it was another straightforward journey just 3 stops down the line.  We got off the Metro and checked directions, and only a short walk we could see a lot of cars heading in the same direction.  We must be in the right place!  We went through the security check of the gatehouse, and was then offered lemon cologne and sweets 'Iyi Bayramlar!'  We continued following the crowds and came across this sight.....

The Road of Lions- 262 metres of Pedestrian walkway which is lined with 12 pairs of lions like the one pictured above. It was all very grand but I wasn't prepared for what was at the end of the Road of Lions. The Ceremonial Plaza was right in front of me and The Hall of Honour to my left.

I took a sharp intake of breath as I saw the sight, Wow, this really was something special.  My students were right, this was one place we couldn't miss seeing while in Ankara.  We were at Anitkabir, the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemel Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, and a man who did so much for the country during his lifetime.  I had recently held a conversation class where my students had told me about Ataturk and what he did for the country, and how respected he was throughout Turkey today.  Anitkabir confirmed this for me, even on this wet day during Kurban Bayram lots of people had turned out to visit Anitkabir.

A truly stunning place, for a truly inspirational man.  I will be back for a return visit, maybe when it's not raining so much.