National Ascension Monument

About National Ascension Monument

National Ascension Monument — monument, statue in Muratpaşa District. Located in Antalya, Turkey.

The National Ascension Monument (Ulusal Yükseliş Anıtı) is a monument to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk standing in Republic Square (Cumhuriyet Meydanı) in the centre of Antalya, overlooking the sea and the old town. It was created by the sculptor Hüseyin Gezer in 1964 after his design was chosen from 28 entries in a competition organised by the Atatürk Monument Creations Organisation under the architect Tarık Akıltopu; it was entirely funded by donors and unveiled in May 1964, and has been described as one of Turkey's most meaningful monuments. The monument is six metres high and made of 12 tonnes of bronze on a concrete base and supporting columns. It shows Atatürk on horseback at the top, flanked by a boy and a girl representing the youth of the nation, above a base that rises abruptly in stepped levels inscribed with key dates beginning on 19 May 1919, marking the victories and reforms that led to the foundation of the Turkish Republic and gave the new state its modern character. The monument was extensively cleaned in 2014. The square where it stands is the usual starting point for a visit to Kaleiçi, next to the Yivli Minaret, the nostalgic tram stop and the first lanes of the old town, and a terrace on its edge looks out over the old harbour, the Gulf of Antalya and the Beydağları mountains.

Where:

Antalya, Türkiye