Technology from Saarland/Germany protects Atatürk Mausoleum from decay

Nanopool GmbH from Hülzweiler/Germany receives major contract for the tomb of the Turkish Republic’s founder

Hülzweiler/Ankara. Nanopool GmbH from Hülzweiler/Germany is making headlines in the Turkish capital, Ankara, with an unusual order. The highly specialised family-owned company has been commissioned by the Turkish Monument Authority to protect the mausoleum of the Republic’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, from dirt and damage using a novel surface finishing process.

The tomb, completed 15 years after Atatürk’s death in 1953, is among the most significant buildings in Turkey and attracted over 12.5 million visitors last year alone. The site includes several museums, where personal items of the “Father of the Turks” are also displayed and partly treated by Nanopool. Approximately 750,000 square metres will be coated by the Saarland company with a specially developed ultra-thin layer of liquid silicon dioxide (quartz sand) designed to meet the needs of monument preservation. The 260-meter long so-called Lion Road, along with numerous sculptures and columns made of white limestone, have already been treated.

“For decades, we have searched the world for suitable products to protect our ancient sites – now we have found a solution that meets our very high standards,” says Halil Eskici, an archaeologist from Izmir University and the project’s general coordinator. Nanopool has also treated areas of an archaeological site in Central Anatolia, where 4,000-year-old clay bricks were coated with a protective layer. “Our goal is to protect as many of the over 130 archaeological excavations in Turkey in this manner,” explains Eskici. Nanopool Managing Director Sascha Schwindt is convinced that the technology from Saarland will soon be used in many other places: “With our products, we can contribute to the preservation of the world’s most valuable cultural sites.” Inquiries from Egypt and Italy are already on hand, according to Schwindt.