Peace Park

Anıtkabir is located in an area of 750.000 m2, and approximately 120.000 m2 of this area is the monument block, while 630.000 m2 of the area is the peace park. The peace park is composed of two parts known as the east and the west park.

During the construction of Anıtkabir, it was determined to create an “international peace park” with the saplings brought from various countries and regions of Türkiye at the area surrounding Anıtkabir by inspiring from Atatürk’s famous quote “peace at home, peace in the world.” Thus, the final resting place of the Great Leader is surrounded by a park symbolizing the peace which he struggled much in order to provide in the world and at home throughout his life.

The first landscaping works around Anıtkabir began in 1946. Under the leadership of German architect, Prof. Paul Bonatz and after the exchange of ideas between Prof. Emin Onat and Prof. Sadri Aran, the application projects on the landscaping based on surveys and analyses regarding art and science were prepared by Prof. Sadri Aran.

In the project which was prepared in the light of the valuable advice of Prof. Bonatz;

- The hill on which the construction of Anıtkabir was crowned would be the center of gravity.

- A wide green zone would be formed beginning from the skirts of this hill.

- Inside this green zone, only universities and cultural constructions would rarely exist.

- Green masses will be formed on the skirts of Rasattepe with high and bulky trees, the color of these masses will become brown while becoming closer to the monument and will be diminished in intensity and fade away in front of the majestic form of the monument by turning into the compressed in form and grey colored plant physiognomy of the steppe.

- The Road of Lions will be isolated from the effect of the city landscape by the high fences, the both sides of which are composed of masses of trees. Because, the visitors who enter this green corridor should arrive at the presence of Atatürk by isolating themselves from the outer world and the city visually.

In the meeting held on March 4, 1948, attended by the Minister of Public Works, Kasım Gülek and Prof. Sadri Aran, it was decided that the landscape works of Anıtkabir should start immediately, the needed trees and decoration plants, suitable for the project, should be provided by both the nursery of Çubuk Dam and the nurseries located outside of Ankara, also to that end, a nursery should be constructed inside the park area. The forestation works went on intensively between 1950 – 1960 with the plants brought from this nursery and the nurseries in Eskişehir, İstanbul and Samsun.

In the beginning, Ministry of Public Works planned that around 150.000 trees and decoration plants would be planted to Peace Park, however, due to some reasons, the borders of the park narrowed in time and the suggestions of Prof. Bonatz could not be realized. Today, there are approximately 50.000 decoration trees and bushes with 104 different types in the peace park.