Republic Monument

The Cumhuriyet Aniti, or Republic Monument, stands in the western half of Istanbul's Taksim Square and commemorates the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923. The Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica - formerly court sculptor in Vienna and Saint Petersburg - designed the monument, which was unveiled on 8 August 1928 after two and a half years of work. The piece has two relief faces: on one, Atatuerk appears as commander in the War of Independence; on the other, as statesman of the Republic, each flanked by figures such as Ismet Inoenue and Fevzi Cakmak. The double presentation was a deliberate break with Islamic conventions against figurative public art in 1928. The monument is the site of state wreath-laying ceremonies, while Taksim Square remains the stage for protests, concerts and New Year's Eve crowds.