105. Today in 1920s Turkey: 18 August 1928 (A Monument to the Republic Opened in Taksim Square)

(Cover page, Resimli Gazete or “Illustrated Gazette,” 18 August 1928, no. 259, page 1.)

Türkçe:
Taksim’de Küşad Edilen | İnkilabımızın Abidesi

English:
The Monument of Our Revolution | Inagurated in Taksim

Comments
İstanbul’s second public monument that included a representation of President Mustafa Kemal (“Atatürk” as of 1934) is the famous Republic Monument (Taksim Cumhuriyet Anıtı) located at the heart of Istanbul’s bustling Beyoğlu (Pera) district. This particular monument, which still stands in Taksim today, was unveiled on 8 August 1928. Many newspapers and journals reported on the momentous event that was accompanied with great pomp and circumstance. The weekly illustrated magazine, Resimli Gazete featured the monument on the covers of its issue following its inaguration. The journal treats the monument quite cleverly as it includes a photograph of the North-facing side on its front cover (above) and a picture of the South-facing side on its back cover (below). Resimli Gazete takes advantage of the monument’s natural two-sided composition and applies it to the physical qualities of the magazine. The front cover acts like the “front” of the monument and in doing so includes the “Independence War” scene from 1922. Following the chronological layout of the monument, the magazine features a representation of the “Republic” which resulted from the war on its back cover.

The text in the upper half of the front-page picture is the journal’s “masthead” which has been split and moved around. For instance, the regular masthead for the journal usually appears in the form seen in this example. It seems the editors have changed it for the sole purpose of making more space for the important monument. The front-page photograph is sandwiched between a series of words identifying the monument lower on the page: “The Monument of Our Revolution/Inagurated in Taksim” (Taksim’de Küşad Edilen/İnkilabımızın Abidesi).

The back page is where most of the information regarding the monument is located. Translations for the short column of text to the left of the picture can be found below. The text includes information about the monument including its creators: the Istanbul residents who funded it and the Italian sculptor who made it.

(Back cover, Resimli Gazete or “Illustrated Gazette,” 18 August 1928, no. 259, page 12.)

Türkçe:
Anadolu İnkilabının Canlı Timsali

Taksim’de İstanbul halkının iştirakıyla vücuda gelen heykel geçen hafta küşad edildi. İtalya’nın meşhur heykeltraşı Kanonika’nın bir eseri Türk inkilabını canlandırması itibarıyla İstanbul’un en güzel bir [?] olmuştur.

Kapak tarafındaki resim heykelin Şişli tarafına bakan cihetidir. Bu sahifeyi [?] eden fotoğraf da Beyoğlu tarafına [?] kısmıdır.

English:
The Anatolian Revolution’s Live Representation

The statue that was brought into existence with the assistance of the people of Istanbul opened last week. The work of famous Italian sculptor, Canonica, this representation of the Turkish revolution has become one of Istanbul’s most beautiful [?].

The picture on the cover side is the side that faces Şişli. The [?] photograph of this page is the side that [?] at Beyoğlu.