No Camels in Turkey: Ankara (The Capital)

   Last weekend a small group of us traveled to Ankara, the capitol of Turkey (population 4.5 million). Most people we talked to before leaving told use that there was not much to see or do in Ankara, our Turkish professor told us Ankara was only selected as the capital because it was not conquered during WWI or the Turkish War of Independence. We still had a great time touring Anıtkabir, Atatürk's memorial tomb, eating atop the Atakule tour, and then seeing the new Batman movie in IMAX!
     Earlier I wrote a post about Atatürk's popularity and the admiration the Turkish people have for him, which was still evident after touring his memorial tomb. It was interesting to discover that not only was he respected for his role in gaining Turkey's independence and then becoming the first president of Turkey, but also for his role in modernizing Turkey. He brought about many reforms and laws aimed at making Turkey a more modern European country. He brought about social reforms on women's rights, voting, and education. He made sure Turkey was using the same alphabet, numbering system, and units as the rest of Europe. He even required citizens to wear hats one day a week for a period of time, just to make them more European. It seems to me that he kinda made sure Turkey didn't get left behind the rest of Europe as they gained their independence and became an independent people with their own culture.
   Lastly I also realized what a badass Atatürk was. He was this revolutionary figure doing historically and socially important things and he did it all like a cowboy. He drank and smoke excessively (died of cirrhosis and had a fondness for Raki), played chess, rode horses and yachts, wrote, learned (had an impressive personal library (I know, I saw it.)),and womanized. There is a reason why a good number of Turkish people have his signature tattooed on the inside of their forearms.

Some cool quotes from the man himself.

I have no religion, and at times I wish all religions at the bottom of the sea. He is a weak ruler who needs religion to uphold his government; it is as if he would catch his people in a trap. My people are going to learn the principles of democracy, the dictates of truth and the teachings of science. Superstition must go. Let them worship as they will; every man can follow his own conscience, provided it does not interfere with sane reason or bid him against the liberty of his fellow-men.
Those who conquer by the sword are doomed, sooner or later, to yield to those who conquer by the plough.
I've got to drink: my mind keeps on working hard and fast to the point of suffering. I have to slow it down to rest it at times.

Started the day of with a typical breakfast. Tea, OJ, simit (like a seasme bagel, only thinner and lighter), cheese, feta cheese, olives, tomatoes, salami, cucumbers, and a hard boiled egg.

Antkabir which houses Atatürk's tomb. It was designed by a pair of Turkish professors and is this huge, stunning, symmetrical, stone cut monument.

View of one entrance to the memorial, like a colonnade, but with lions instead of trees or columns. Beautiful.

The group at the memorial overlooking Ankara.

Posing next to one of the sentries. In the blazing heat they don't move or flinch, and I mistook them for wax statues at first. They are relieved every hour or so by an impressive changing of the guard ceremony.