Day 11: The Anatolian Civilizations Museum and the Mausoleum of Atatürk - Izzy Bennett

 Today, we began our last full day in Ankara by visiting the Anatolian Civilization Museum. 

Entrance

This museum details all of the civilizations that have lived in the area of Anatolia since the beginning of known civilization through artifacts like tools and artwork. The building was originally a 15th century bazaar that was restored by Atatürk to become a museum. 

First, we went through the different ages of history that categorize the times of these civilizations. The Paleolithic Age features the beginning of civilization with simple survival-based lifestyles. The main artifacts from this time are tools that represent the inability to devote time and energy to artistry.

Tools and artifacts from the Paleolithic Age

After agriculture was established, humans moved into the Neolithic Age in 12,000 BC. This age features settlements, evidence of religious practices, the beginning of trade, and the beginnings of art. Humanity was advancing and innovating, so the artifacts were full of beautiful artwork and symbols of deities and other complex elements. 

One image that was portrayed many times was that of Cybele, one of the earliest known deities, also known as the Great Mother. We believe she represented fertility, motherhood, and power. She is a dynamic deity as she changes in name and look in different cultures but represents a similar idea. We saw many statues of her today. 

Early metalwork of Cybele

Representation of what altars to Cybele looked like

Each section of the museum represented a different civilization that has resided in Anatolia. The first known group was the Hittites who lived in central Türkiye and have a European origin. Their orthostats, stone slabs on the bottom of a wall, give us information about their culture and lifestyle that we couldn’t have gotten otherwise. The Hittites also used cuneiforms to record many things like marriage and divorce records and receipts that give us insight into the lived experience of ancient people.

Orthostats of the Hittites

Cuneiform of the Hittites

Some of the other civilizations in Anatolia were the Phrygians, Lydians, Assyrians, along with many others to make 24 total civilizations that have existed here. The Phrygians are known for their intricate and beautiful woodworks. The Lydians are known for inventing the coin and beginning the use of money instead of trade. All of these groups have deep and rich histories and many are displayed in this museum. 

Woodwork of the Phrygians

One interesting thing to consider in this museum is the lack of representation of ancient Greek artifacts. That section is in the basement and is somewhat hidden away, so we discussed the idea that there is an intentional downplaying of the significance of ancient Greek civilizations due to the poor relations between Türkiye and Greece from events like the Turkish War of Independence and the swapping of Greek and Turkish citizens in 1924. Maybe Türkiye doesn’t want visitors to confront the harsh reality of how both nations have treated each other quite poorly or to reflect on the negative attributes of the Turkish government…

Another idea we considered is how we can see societal issues like misogyny and class discrimination permeating throughout these ancient civilizations. We’ve talked many times about how cities are often represented as women and there is a metaphor of conquest and domination over women when cities are taken. There’s a similar idea with the artifacts in this museum as women were often represented as containers like cups and bowls. We considered how the depiction of women as containers could be a form of objectification and show how ancient cultures viewed women. In addition, we saw a lot of jewelry and thought it could represent the class divisions of the ancient world as the wealthy displayed their resources on their body, instantly signaling who has wealth and who doesn’t as a method of expressing perceived superiority.

Woman depicted in a bowl

Female face on a bowl draped in jewelry

After seeing the Anatolian Civilizations Museum, we went to the Mausoleum of Atatürk, the father of the Turks and founder of the Republic of Türkiye.

After Atatürk died, they didn’t know what to do with his body, so they held an international competition of architects to determine what to build to house his grave. Two Turkish architects won the competition and built the structure.

The mausoleum reflects the history of Türkiye and Atatürk through the symbolic architecture.

When you walk up the entrance, there are 24 lion statues that represent the 24 civilizations that have lived in Anatolia.

Walkway to the mausoleum lined with lion statues

The main structure is a modern interpretation of a Greek temple to pay homage to Atatürk’s birthplace of modern Greece.

Main building that houses Atatürk’s body

Inside the mausoleum, there are mosaics on the ceiling that resemble Turkish carpets to acknowledge the Ottoman Empire.

Ceiling mosaic inside the mausoleum

On the walls of the mausoleum, there are reliefs, or carvings, that depict the Turkish War of Independence and Atatürk’s reforms to represent the modern Republic of Türkiye. 

Reliefs on the side of the mausoleum

Even the soil of the hill that the mausoleum sits on was collected from all over Türkiye to create a mini version of Türkiye for Atatürk to sit upon. His mausoleum can be well seen all over Ankara and symbolizes how he still is the leader and highest figure in Türkiye, showing his strong grasp on the country even past his life.

Outline of Türkiye with the flag overlooking the city outside the mausoleum

Underneath and around the mausoleum is a museum that shows items connected to Atatürk and the Turkish War of Independence. We saw exhibitions with clothes he wore, recreations of the trenches he and the soldiers fought in, and many other pieces of artwork and historical records.

Famous picture of Atatürk fighting in the Turkish War of Independence 

Portrait of Atatürk

Records of atrocities committed by Greeks in the Turkish War of Independence - no mention of Türkiye’s wrongdoings…

At this site, we considered what Türkiye is trying to say to us through the architecture and the museum. How does Türkiye want us to remember Atatürk’s legacy? They certainly don’t want us to remember his authoritative qualities, drinking problems, and playboy tendencies. All dignitaries and important visitors to Türkiye are supposed to come to Atatürk’s mausoleum to pay respects before doing anything else, so this is clearly an important site that wants to send a message that paints Türkiye and its immortal leader in the best light. When entering significant sites like these, we discussed how it’s important to consider what message is being sent to visitors.

Today, we learned a lot about the legacy of the ancient Anatolian civilizations and Atatürk and considered how the past influences modern Türkiye. It was a day full of insight and complexity and we’re all excited to continue exploring Türkiye!