From Istanbul to Cappadocia: A Journey through Turkey “** **Chapter 1: Ankara, the Capital of Turkey
Chapter 1: Ankara, the capital of Turkey Chapter 1: Ankara, the capital of Turkey.
Our trip started in Istanbul about 7 hours drive to our destination which will be Cappadocia , the largest city in Turkey and a very popular tourist destination if you want you can read my first article written a few days ago about the Grand Bazaar and Eminönü . However, our goal was not to get to Ankara but to Cappadocia but as we wanted to know new places here was a destination to know the tour guide did not like the idea so I recommend you as a traveler to rent yourself a car and you can enjoy your trip much more comfortable , the capital of the country, to know one of the most important places of Turkish history as was the historical mausoleum of the Turkish homeland and the Turkish father . After picking up our car the guide was telling us what we should do or where to go, we headed east towards the city of Ankara one of the many stops that we will be making on this great trip, which is located approximately 450 kilometers from Istanbul.
The road was wide and well maintained with landscapes between savannahs and mountains, which allowed us to enjoy the Turkish landscape as we approached our first stop to rest after so many kilometers traveled by car. After a few hours of driving we decided to go to eat and relax the legs, we arrived in Ankara the Turkish capital, a modern and organized city that is surrounded by beautiful mountains to explore and get to know them soon I will show you. Ankara is known for being one of the most important cities in Turkey in political and cultural terms since it was founded in 1953 is the new Turkish republic , and it is here where the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk , the father of the Turkish nation and all Turks actually .
**Atatürk's Mausoleum
The Atatürk Mausoleum is an impressive monument located in the heart of the city built in a marble block of more than 40 tons of marble to honor the father of the country. It is a place of pilgrimage for Turks, and its beauty and size impress any visitor and is another must-see destination here in Turkey. The mausoleum is a large building that stands in a garden well kept by the lions of a whole street who are the watchmen to honor the father and protect him from all evils , surrounded by a high wall where the soldiers are . The main facade is made of red stone and is adorned with inscriptions in Arabic and Turkish alphabet in his memory for all Turkish citizens.
Upon entering the mausoleum, you can see the coffin of Atatürk, which is in a simple white marble sarcophagus as shown here. On the sides of the coffin there are two statues of Atatürk, which are in an environment of fruits and flowers made by the parishioners to ask for his protection. The inside of the mausoleum is simple but touching and beautiful of his history and beliefs of all Turks , and it is a place where you can feel the presence of the leader who unified Turkey and led it to be the nation it is today to the new Turkish republic we have today .
**A bit of history
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was a political and military leader who was born in 1881 in the village of Selanik, in the present-day region of Macedonia. After studying in Paris and the Military Academy, Atatürk became an important political leader general in the Anatolia region, where he fought for Turkish independence. In 1923, Atatürk became the first president of the Republic of Turkey and began to implement significant changes in the Turkish society that we know today as the new Turkey, such as secularization of the country and the promotion of education and justice for this is called the father of the Turkish republic loved by all Turks and I include myself in this.
Atatürk died in 1938, but his legacy lives on in Turkey and every Turk carries him in our hearts. His mausoleum is a testimony of his importance in the history of the country and a place of pilgrimage for Turks which was inaugurated in 1953 for his glory.
Our first stop in Ankara was a great success as we wanted to know the Turkish capital. We visited the Atatürk Mausoleum, an impressive place that allowed us to understand the importance of this leader in the history of our great father's Turkey. The city of Ankara is modern and organized, the capital of Turkish republic , and allowed us to experience the culture and history of the country in a unique way as we saw and know this great place the mausoleum . In our next chapter , we will head south on the road , to the Cappadocia region , known for its stunning natural scenery and ancient ruins and see if we manage to ride the balloon as we have planned to do .
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and see you in a next adventure ! If you have any questions or want to know more about Ankara or Atatürk's Mausoleum let me know in the comments and I will be glad to answer you, don't hesitate to ask. In the next chapter, we will head to Cappadocia, where we will discover more about the history and culture of Turkey as usual in the blog.
photos of my authorship