After his death, Atatürk's body was kept in various places and opened to public visits until it was moved to Anıtkabir. The book "Beyond Anıtkabir: Atatürk's Tomb Architecture - Construction and Maintenance of National Memory" examines these places where Atatürk's body was kept; his funeral ceremonies; and the construction, preservation, and institutionalization of Anıtkabir. Based on these, it reveals the relationship between the representations of Atatürk in tomb architecture and the factors shaping national and collective memory.
The book traces the points where the body passed or stayed and investigates the meanings of these places in national memory. By showing the changes made over time in his bedroom at Dolmabahçe Palace and in Anıtkabir, two lasting examples of Atatürk's tomb architecture, it also draws attention to the dynamic use of tomb architecture in maintaining national memory. According to Wilson, the purpose of the book is to illuminate the Anıtkabir of the past in order to be able to predict the "beyond Anıtkabir" of the future. Christopher S. Wilson teaches architecture and design history at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida.