Cumhuriyet Memorial to undergo renovations
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Anatolia News Agency
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 23, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - The Cumhuriyet Memorial is a tribute to the hard fought Turkish War of Indepence and the formation of the Turkish Republic. It is long overdue for a facelift having served as a national symbol for over 80 years. As Istanbul primes itself for the role of 2010 European Culture of Capital, the memorial will undergo restoration and preservation efforts
The Cumhuriyet Memorial in Taksim Square, commemorating Atatürk and the struggle for Republican independence, is being renovated as a part of the ongoing restoration projects for Istanbul’s upcoming 2010 tenure as the European Capital of Culture.
The memorial plays a central role during national holidays and has been the centerpiece of Taksim Square for 81 years but time has begun to take a toll on the bronze sculpture. Built and designed by Italian sculptor Pietro Conanica, today the Cumhuriyet Memorial shows signs of ageing. The structure is covered in a thick coat of soot and grime, hairline cracks and light fractures have appeared on the surface and there has been heavy corrosion of the building materials.
The Istanbul Private Office has allotted a sum of 150,000 Turkish liras for the restoration and bidding for the renovation contract has begun. As the memorial is situated in a prominent location and occupies a particular place in the mind of many living in the city, the restoration will be done with the utmost care, according to city officials. Taksim Square is a major tourist destination and serves the entertainment needs of many city residents so special precautions will be taken to make sure that the restoration project does not interfere with daily life and is minimally intrusive to the surroundings. The scaffolding necessary to restore the structure will be enclosed in a vinyl outer shell to shield the square from construction efforts.
The monument will be restored with a maximum emphasis placed on preservation. The cleaning process will be undertaken with sensitive materials that will not harm the colored marble on the memorial, and mechanical and chemical treatment of the bronze will be topped off with a special layer to prevent further corrosion on the structure’s surface. Restoration on the stone surface will be done using original or similar materials and hairline fractures will be filled in using target-specific acrylic injections.
The restored memorial is expected to be finished in time for April 23 when the National Independence and Children’s Day celebrations take place.
The memorial was first conceived in 1925 by a commission formed by then- Istanbul parliamentarian Şinasi Paşa. The commission contacted the Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica, who completed the structure in 2.5 years. The memorial, which received financial support from public donations, was shipped to Istanbul and assembled in 23 days. It opened to the public as a symbol of the War of Independence that raged across the country just years before on Aug. 8, 1928. When the structure was brought to its spot in Taksim, the square and surrounding landscape was built around it. The military post and barracks in Taksim were closed and the structures were torn down to accommodate the new square.
The memorial covers a 60-square-meter area and has two sides. The north facing side symbolizes the War of Independence and depicts the Aug. 30 victory, Atatürk’s battle at Kocatepe and the soldiers and women of the war. This scene was created from a photograph of Atatürk taken by Ethem Hamdi during the War of Independence. The south facing side symbolizes the modern Turkish Republic and depicts Atatürk alongside other leading figures of the Republic, such as İsmet İnönü and Fevzi Çakmak, foreign dignitaries, soldiers and the Turkish public who all had a hand in the making of the Republic. The narrow two sides feature symbolic soldiers carrying the banners of the Turkish Republic.
The memorial plays a central role during national holidays and has been the centerpiece of Taksim Square for 81 years but time has begun to take a toll on the bronze sculpture. Built and designed by Italian sculptor Pietro Conanica, today the Cumhuriyet Memorial shows signs of ageing. The structure is covered in a thick coat of soot and grime, hairline cracks and light fractures have appeared on the surface and there has been heavy corrosion of the building materials.
The Istanbul Private Office has allotted a sum of 150,000 Turkish liras for the restoration and bidding for the renovation contract has begun. As the memorial is situated in a prominent location and occupies a particular place in the mind of many living in the city, the restoration will be done with the utmost care, according to city officials. Taksim Square is a major tourist destination and serves the entertainment needs of many city residents so special precautions will be taken to make sure that the restoration project does not interfere with daily life and is minimally intrusive to the surroundings. The scaffolding necessary to restore the structure will be enclosed in a vinyl outer shell to shield the square from construction efforts.
The monument will be restored with a maximum emphasis placed on preservation. The cleaning process will be undertaken with sensitive materials that will not harm the colored marble on the memorial, and mechanical and chemical treatment of the bronze will be topped off with a special layer to prevent further corrosion on the structure’s surface. Restoration on the stone surface will be done using original or similar materials and hairline fractures will be filled in using target-specific acrylic injections.
The restored memorial is expected to be finished in time for April 23 when the National Independence and Children’s Day celebrations take place.
The memorial was first conceived in 1925 by a commission formed by then- Istanbul parliamentarian Şinasi Paşa. The commission contacted the Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica, who completed the structure in 2.5 years. The memorial, which received financial support from public donations, was shipped to Istanbul and assembled in 23 days. It opened to the public as a symbol of the War of Independence that raged across the country just years before on Aug. 8, 1928. When the structure was brought to its spot in Taksim, the square and surrounding landscape was built around it. The military post and barracks in Taksim were closed and the structures were torn down to accommodate the new square.
The memorial covers a 60-square-meter area and has two sides. The north facing side symbolizes the War of Independence and depicts the Aug. 30 victory, Atatürk’s battle at Kocatepe and the soldiers and women of the war. This scene was created from a photograph of Atatürk taken by Ethem Hamdi during the War of Independence. The south facing side symbolizes the modern Turkish Republic and depicts Atatürk alongside other leading figures of the Republic, such as İsmet İnönü and Fevzi Çakmak, foreign dignitaries, soldiers and the Turkish public who all had a hand in the making of the Republic. The narrow two sides feature symbolic soldiers carrying the banners of the Turkish Republic.