What you see is Pope Leo XIV’s first stop in Turkey, just minutes after landing in Ankara. The place: the mausoleum of Atatürk, where the remains of the founder of modern Turkey rest.
This scene is a copy of the visit that happened 11 years ago. Same place, same flowers, same military parade, but with a different name. Pope Francis was here in 2014, and Pope Leo is doing the same on his first international trip.
Notice the soldiers accompanying the floral wreath. They are the honor guard of the Presidency of Turkey. They are a group of soldiers who, among other duties, watch over the monument 24 hours a day.
It was they who placed Pope Leo XIV’s offering at the foot of Atatürk’s sarcophagus.
Look at the funeral monument from the outside, because it may remind you of the style of ancient civilizations, such as Roman or Egyptian, though with cultural touches of Turkish identity.
Pope Leo XIV’s first stop ended like this: signing the guestbook and making a brief visit to the museum dedicated to the man considered the father of the Turks.
CA
