Republic Day

October 29th was Republic Day.  It commemorates Ataturk and the forming of the modern Turkish nation in 1923.  Already the previous night, flags were being hung on storefronts.  When i went outside on the 29th, everywhere I looked i saw flags and photos of Ataturk.  Almost every storefront had a flag hanging in their front window, as did many apartment balconies.  And many of these were not small flags, but great big ones, even bigger than the ones at Perkin’s, though none as big as the ones that hang on the sides of some big government buildings.  There were some that looked to be 8 or more stories high. Some were just flags, others were flags and larger than life pictures of Ataturk.  As I made my way toward Anit Kabir, or Ataturk’s Mausoleum, the crowds grew.    Outside the front gate, there were several men selling simits (a turkish bagel), red roses, and Turkish flags.  Many goers bought a flag for their children to carry.  Once I put my bag through an x-ray machine, i walked up the hill to the mausoleum.  This is a huge place, in the middle of the city, and provides great panoramic views all around.  Hundreds of people were milling about, many posing their children, with Turkish flag in hand, in front of the rose bushes for photos.  The line to enter the place where Ataturk rests stretched across the whole plaza, as did the line to enter the museum.  After walking around, i left the grounds, bought a simit, and went to the cafe at the ice rink, where i have become a regular.