This “Ulusal Yükseliş Anıtı” (= Rise of the Nation Monument) was unveiled in 1964. The bronze sculpture group is 6 meter high and weighs 12 tons. It symbolises the events which, beginning on May 19th 1919, lead to the establishment of the Turkish Republic and (of course) the central role Atatürk played in them.

The designer of the monument was the Turkish sculptor Hüseyin Gezer (1920-2013). He was born in a village near Mut (province Içel). He studied at the IDGSA (State Academy of Fine Arts) in Istanbul, and afterwards went to Paris with a scholarship to work with Marcel Gimond at the ‘École des beaux-arts'. After returning to Turkey, step-by-step he made career as teacher – submanager – manager of the IDGSA. From 1969 to 1976 he became manager of the 'İstanbul Resim ve Heykel Müzesi' (Museum of Paintings and Sculpture).

Correspondent: J.M.Criel, Antwerpen.
Source: Website of ‘isteataturk.com’ & Wikipedia.