SUPREME SPACE adorned with NATURAL STONES OF TURKEY; “MAUSOLEUM”
SUPREME SPACE adorned with NATURAL STONES OF TURKEY; “MAUSOLEUM”
Anıtkabir, on a total area of 750 thousand square meters; It consists of parts of the Peace Park and the Monument Block (the lion’s path, the ceremonial square, the mausoleum and ten towers) and is located on Rasat Tepe, at an altitude of 907 meters. In order to determine whether Rasat Tepe can withstand the pressure of the structure, which will weigh approximately 150,000 tons, a study of “Foundation-Soil Mechanics” with modern methods; By the Ministry of Public Works, our late teacher from Istanbul Technical University Faculty of Civil Engineering, Civil Eng. Ord. prof. Dr. Hamdi PEYNİRCİOĞLU and our late teacher Geologist Ord. prof. Dr. Mr. Malik SAYAR has been appointed. prof. SAYAR, in its report stating the results of its studies; He stated that Rasat Tepe, at an altitude of 907 meters, is the remains of a terrace on an old alluvial area and was formed in the early stages of the Fourth Geological Time. During the excavations of the foundation ground in the Anıtkabir area, ground survey soundings of up to 40 meters were made, and during these soundings, large cavities (galleries) thought to be connected with the king tombs (tumuli) belonging to the Phrygian Civilization were found inside the hill. In particular, these gaps under the Hall of Honor of Anıtkabir necessitated the use of fundamentally different techniques. For this reason, in order to consolidate the foundation of the mausoleum, it was decided to place the foundation of the structure in the ground with iron beams and wires from all sides, like the underwater section of a ship.
“Natural stones” were used as the most important building material in the construction of Anıtkabir. In this context, the most striking feature of the building is that it was built using natural stones of Turkey extracted from different regions of the “Anatolian” geography, which is defined as the “Cradle of Civilizations”. These natural stones in different colors and patterns are mainly; It is of Travertine, Marble, Serpentinite, Ignimbrite and Limestone types. Stone cutting machines (MARMI company) were brought from Italy for the processing of natural stones to be produced from the quarries, and hand tools for stone processing were brought from Afyonkarahisar (deceased Demirci Hacı Ömer DEMİREL-DEMMAK). These natural stones, which were processed and laid by stone masters from Kayseri’s Ağırnas, Reşadiye (Erciyes) and Talas Zincidere villages; Rar-Türk Limited Society, which is the contractor company of Anıtkabir construction, is responsible for travertine and marbles required to be used in construction; had water absorption, pressure, freezing and other technical experiments done at Istanbul Technical University Materials Laboratories. As a result of these experiments, it was concluded that travertine and marbles are resistant to pressure and water, and as a result of the freezing and hot water tests, there are no cracks and debris in the natural stones.
White travertines used in sculpture groups, lion statues and mausoleum columns in Anıtkabir; The white travertines used on the inner walls of the towers were brought from Kayseri-Pınarbaşı locality, and from the quarries in Ankara’s Polatlı district, Malıköy, Haymana and Papazderesi. Black and red ignimbrites brought from Kayseri Boğazköprü and Kumarlı; yellow travertines brought from Karabük-Eskipazar-Budaklar village on the ground floor of the ceremonial square and towers; Victory reliefs were used in the construction of the outer walls of the honor hall and the colonnades surrounding the ceremonial square. Cream, red and black marbles and limestones used on the floor of the hall of honor; From Çanakkale, Manisa-Aksihar-Efkafteke village, MuğlaKavaklıdere-Göktepe village, Hatay-Yayladağ-Dusduru (Gözlekçiler) village and Adana-Ceyhan (Osmaniye-Düziçi/Bahçe-Bilallik village), the “Tiger Tiger” used on the inner side walls of the hall of honor The gray marble with the commercial name “Postu” was brought from
Afyonkarahisar İscehisar, and the green serpentinite was brought from the village of Bilecik-Hasandere. The monolithic sarcophagus with white calcite veins, weighing 40 tons, was brought from Osmaniye-Çağşak village, and the white colored and yellow veined marble with the commercial name “Afyon Honey and Afyon Şeker” covering the side walls of the sarcophagus, the base of the flagpole and the oratory on the stairs of the mausoleum was brought from Afyonkarahisar İscehisar. .
Anıtkabir is adorned with “Natural Stones of Turkey”, all of which are quarried from the heart of Anatolia and operated as a result of its unique geological richness.
Representative examples of these natural stone materials used in the construction of Anıtkabir and the places where they were used in the building are also exhibited for visitors to see in a glassed-in section inside the Hürriyet Tower.
One of the architects of Anıtkabir, our late teacher Prof. Dr. As Mr. Emin ONAT also stated; “If it is desired to establish structures that can last for many years, it is necessary to go to nothing but the tax of nature. However, the feeling of trust in natural stones still continues today, as it was in the past, from the saying “It is the stone of nature, with dignity and old people”.
Let’s finish this article about the natural stones of Anıtkabir, which is adorned with the natural stones of Turkey, with these words;
Rest in peace in his eternal resting place adorned with “Natural Stones of Turkey”, my great ATAM…”
With Respect and Gratitude...
Note: This article; One of the architects of Anıtkabir, the late Prof. Dr. Mr. Orhan ARDA’s son, Mr. Published by Ankara Metropolitan Municipality in 2002, under the authorship of Architect Mr. M. Ömer ARDA; The chapter prepared by me in his book named “Anıtkabir with its Architectural Memories” has been compiled from my writing.
Publication coordinator of the book; Load. Architect Mrs. Seda ÖZEN BİLGİLİ has undertaken, and the photographs used in the article are also submitted by the Architect. It belongs to Architect Sena ÖZFİLİZ.