Turkish State Cemetery

About Turkish State Cemetery

Turkish State Cemetery is Ankara’s national memorial cemetery for presidents of the Republic and commanders of the Turkish War of Independence. Set on a hill in the Atatürk Forest Farm area of Yenimahalle, it is a place of burial, public memory and republican symbolism rather than a conventional museum stop. The site opened with a state ceremony on 30 August 1988. Its identity comes from the direct connection between the graves, the commemorative landscape and the state history represented here. The setting gives the cemetery a distinctly ceremonial character within Ankara.

Checked 2026-09-02 · Source

What's inside

The visit brings together a burial area, a museum and outdoor commemorative features. In the museum, belongings, photographs and documents are connected with the presidents and War of Independence commanders buried at the cemetery. The Republic History Road follows the period from 19 May 1919 to the foundation of the Republic through sculptures and symbolic installations. Karadeniz Havuzu adds a distinct earlier layer: it was built in 1931 on Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s instruction and later renovated within the cemetery project. Together, these elements link personal objects, political history, military memory and landscape. The route is especially relevant to visitors studying the formation of modern Turkey.

Checked 2026-09-02 · Source

How long to spend

Plan a substantial visit if you want to understand the whole site. Start with the museum’s belongings, photographs and documents, then continue through the burial area and the outdoor memorial features. The Republic History Road deserves time because its sculptures and symbolic installations are intended to be read as a historical sequence, while Karadeniz Havuzu introduces the site’s 1931 predecessor. Walking between these elements also reveals the hilltop setting above Ankara. The exact time needed depends on pace and interest, but this is better treated as a combined indoor and outdoor memorial visit than a quick photo stop. Allow extra time for pauses at the displays and viewpoints.

Checked 2026-09-02 · Source

Season and crowds

The responsible public body states that Turkish State Cemetery is open to the public during daytime every day, including weekends and public and religious holidays. It also states that the site is closed outside daytime visiting hours. Exact daily opening and closing times are not published, so the practical choice is to arrive during daylight and leave enough margin for both the museum and the grounds. Earlier daytime hours may make the hill and outdoor route more comfortable. A quiet visit also fits the memorial setting and gives you time to read the displays without rushing. Daylight is important because the outdoor elements form a substantial part of the experience.

Checked 2026-09-02 · Source

Tickets

Treat the cemetery as a formal public memorial: follow entrance instructions and any visitor rules communicated on site, and respect ceremonies, graves and people paying their respects. The published daytime access status supports planning a daytime visit, but it does not establish a charge, reservation process or a guaranteed museum timetable. Keep your practical plan flexible around official activity at this working cemetery. Do not budget from an assumed free-entry claim, because no operator price statement was supplied.

Checked 2026-09-02 · Source

Getting there

Use the Beştepe–Yenimahalle route and set the final approach to the entrance on Silahtar Caddesi. The address is MSB Devlet Büyükleri Anıt Mezarlığı, Gazi Mahallesi, Yenimahalle, Ankara. The cemetery lies in the Atatürk Forest Farm area, on a hill overlooking Ankara, so the entrance address is more useful for navigation than a broad reference to the city. Once inside, expect an outdoor walk between the museum, graves and commemorative features. The elevated setting may also shape how comfortably you move through the grounds.

Checked 2026-09-02 · Source

What to watch out for

This is a working memorial cemetery, not simply an attraction, so keep voices low and give precedence to official ceremonies, families and visitors paying respects. The responsible public body describes daytime access but publishes no exact daily timetable; the grounds are closed outside daytime visiting hours. The hill and outdoor route can demand more effort than the museum alone. Wear comfortable footwear and follow directions given at the entrance. The memorial function should guide conduct throughout the visit, particularly near graves and ceremonial spaces.

Checked 2026-09-02 · Source

Photography

Keep photography discreet and respectful throughout Turkish State Cemetery. The hilltop landscape, commemorative features and Republic History Road provide subjects that can be photographed without intruding on remembrance. Inside the museum, the belongings, photographs and documents help explain the people commemorated, but follow any restrictions communicated on site. Do not photograph mourners, ceremonies or visitors at graves without permission. Quietly framing the sculptures, paths and Ankara outlook preserves the character of the place; the cemetery should remain a site of memory before it becomes a backdrop. Prioritise architectural and landscape details over people, and lower the camera during formal activity.

Checked 2026-09-02 · Source

Where it is

• 45 min

  30 min walk

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  Akköprü

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External links

• Official site
• View on Wikidata