Day+Eleven

= Cappadocia to Ankara,  July 10, 2009 =

7:00 AM We depart for Ankara. Although it only became Turkey’s capital in 1923, Ankara is by no means a new city, indeed it is considerably older than Istanbul, having been founded by the Hittite, circa 1.200 B.C. It was soon taken over by the Phrygianswhose vast necropolis came to light in 1925. First visit to the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey.

PM Lunch at Ankara Castle. Then, we will visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. The museum has a priceless collection stretching from prehistoric times to the classical period. It is housed in a restored Ottoman Han. The different cultures of Anatolia are presented here in chronological order and include outstanding examples of the art of the Hatti, Hittites, Phrygians and Urartians. Later, we will participate in a briefing on domestic/foreign policy issues at a think-thank.

Dinner and overnight at the Hotel.   Commentary 

We conclude or study tour in Ankara – the national capital. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk attempted extraordinary reforms in Turkey and moving the capital is one of them. We were told he wanted to establish a new capital to escape the imperial and religious history of Istanbul. Ataturk (which means “Father Turk”) literally transformed Turkey into a modern republic. He changed the capital, the role of religion (he insisted on a secular state even though 98% of Turks are Muslim), and even the language in which he abandoned Arabic in favor of the Latin alphabet and created a brand new phonetic language. He set up an education system that required education of the masses. As such he is revered throughout the country: portraits, statues, and monuments are everywhere, as is the Turkish flag. He is the father of the nationalist movement in Turkey and we were amazed that his portrait is found in the front of every Turkish school classroom.

We visit his mausoleum which is part memorial site, part hero worship, part nationalist monument. Ataturk approaches cult-like status but that is understandable considering what he did for the country at a time when Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin were rising in Europe. His impact on Turkey as well as his legacy are unmistakable.   [|Today's Photos]