In pictures: How Turkey mourned the loss of its founding father Ataturk
Ataturk's remains underwent a long journey from when the first president of the Turkish republic passed away in November 10, 1938 to its final resting place in Anitkabir, more than 15 years later.
Ataturk's coffin is seen as the funeral procession passes through Talat Pasa Boulevard in Ankara.
Turkey has marked the 83rd anniversary of the passing of the republic's founding father, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
Ataturk passed away at 9:05 am on November 10, 1938 at Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, unleashing a tide of national grief.
The Turkish nation wept for its founding father's untimely passing.
On the day Ataturk passed away, the government published an official communique that revealed the pain of national mourning.
"With this painful event, the Turkish homeland lost its great builder, the Turkish nation its great chief, and humanity lost its great son,'' it read.
Turkish citizens rushed to Dolmabahce Palace to pay their last respects.
In Istanbul, people took to the streets and gathered in front of the newspaper offices while businesses hoisted flags at half-mast.
The crowd of tens of thousands of people around the palace filled the streets.
On November 16, 1938, Ataturk's remains were placed in the great ceremonial hall of Dolmabahce Palace on a catafalque covered by the Turkish flag.
The Turkish nation, from young to old, rushed to Dolmabahce to pay their last respects.
Turkish news agency Anadolu Agency reported that a crowd of tens of thousands of people filled the streets around the palace.
Ataturk's remains were placed in the great ceremonial hall of Dolmabahce Palace on a catafalque.
Ataturk's remains were in a sarcophagus, wrapped in a flag, and covered with roses as six large torches burned behind the coffin.
''Who would have thought that the gates of Dolmabahce palace would one day open to such a sad ceremony," Anadolu Agency said.
Procession carrying the deceased founding father of the Turkish republic.
On the morning of November 19, 1938, a funeral prayer took place in the ceremony hall of Dolmabahce Palace, after which a carriage procession containing the remains headed to Gulhane Park.
People thronged the streets of Ankara to greet the founding father's remains.
Then, Ataturk's remains were placed on the battleship "Yavuz" before they were transferred to a special train in Izmit and brought to Ankara on November 20, 1938.
Special carriage carrying Ataturk's remains is pictured here.
At 9:30 am, air fleets following the procession passed over the station and informed citizens the remains were coming to the city.
As the special procession entered the station, the prime minister Celal Bayar, General Fahrettin Altay and the President of the Republic, who had accompanied the coffin from the carriage, got off.
President Ismet Inonu and the deputies went to the carriage and greeted the coffin.
Prime Minister Celal Bayar made a speech at Ataturk's funeral.
The remains were taken to a temporary tomb in the Ethnography Museum, where they remained for 15 years until the memorial tomb Anitkabir was built.
Ataturk's remains at the final resting place in Anitkabir.
On November 15, 1953, Ataturk was taken to his final resting place in Anitkabir.
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