Atatürk Monument, Paseo de la Reforma

Photo: Sarumo74, Atribución-CompartirIgual 4.0 Internacional.

The Atatürk Monument is one of lesser-known statues in the far distance of Paseo de la Reforma. The statue stands directly in front of the Iranian Embassy on a stretch of Reforma that serves as a border between the neighborhoods of Lomas Altas and Lomas de Reforma.

The monument depicts the former president of Turkey with the crescent and star of the Turkish flag in white marble. The 3.2 meter bronze statue was created by the Azerbaijani sculptor, Said Rüstam. The monument was built prior to 2000, but the monument was not placed until 2003. This was in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. The ceremony was attended by multiple figures from the Turkish business and diplomatic communities.

• Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, (1881–1938), was a revolutionary statesman and the first president of the modern Republic of Turkey. History recalls Atatürk for the sweeping reforms he oversaw in the aftermath of World War I and the dissolution of the 600-year-old Ottoman Empire. Atatürk takes credit for nearly single-handedly creating the secular state of Turkey and initiating the industrialization process there.

The statue stands in the thick of the Lomas neighborhoods. As such, it’s not likely to be visited outside of official commemorations or photo ops. International visitors are likely to glimpse the Atatürk monument en route to Cuajimalpa and the Santa Fe area or on visits to the many parts of Lomas de Chapultepec.