Cutting tools discovered from Ankara’s notorious prison’s front yard

ANKARA

A stash of cutting and piercing tools that are believed to have belonged to former inmates has been discovered in the capital Ankara’s notorious Ulucanlar Prison during the restoration work of a 135-year-old fountain located in front of the complex.

The handmade tools that had stayed below the ground for many years and caught rust over time will be exhibited in the Ulucanlar Prison Museum.

Home to several infamous inmates over the course of 81 years, the prison was shut down in 2006 in order to be transformed into a historical site to serve the public interest.

With the efforts of Ankara’s Altındağ Municipality, the prison building was restored to its original form and was brought to the public eye as a museum in July 2011.

This year, the municipality launched an effort to restore the 135-year-old fountain in front of the prison complex.

Some cutting and piercing tools were found stashed under the ground during the delicate excavation works around the fountain.

Some of the tools made by assembling metal parts on a lighter and the handles of which are wrapped with rope and cloth pieces are estimated to be about 50 years old.

The tools are believed to have been used in numerous riots and fights throughout the prison’s history.

Numerous political personalities such as former prime minister Bülent Ecevit, poets Nazım Hikmet, Necip Fazıl Kısakürek and Ahmed Arif also had once been behind the walls of Ulucanlar Prison.