Last weekend I took some time to explore Ankara. As anyone here will tell you – Ankara isn’t the most exciting city. It really just functions as the capital. Actually, I work less than a block from the building which houses the political party that currently has the majority vote. I walk by it on my way to the grocery store, and there are always a million news vans outside, and massive security efforts.

Anyway, Ataturk (meaning “father of Turks”) was the man who led the Turkish revolution in the early 1900’s, and really is the founder of modern Turkey. He instituted language reform, and made Turkey the only secular Islamic country. The Turkish people LOVE Ataturk! There are posters, billboards, and statues of him everywhere you look. So, this weekend I headed to the Anutkabir – or Ataturk’s mausoleum. Essentially a pilgrimage site for Turkish people – I joined several hundred people in my venture to see his tomb, as well as a museum on the Turkish revolution.

Anutkabir

self portraits are my life right now 🙂

Ataturk's 40 ton marble tomb. Just so we are all clear - I would also like to be buried in 40 tons of marble.

Erin is headed to Santa Rosa this weekend for the birthday party of Ben – her cousin’s son, as well as Carson, her friend Lisa’s son. I will encourage her to post some pictures from her weekend too. That way it won’t only be about me – as fascinating as I may be…. 😉