When it was launched on March 28, 1931, Savarona, the world’s largest yacht, was presented to the founder of the Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. This gift went down in history as one of the largest and most luxurious yachts of the period. Due to his deteriorating health, Atatürk stayed on this yacht for 54 days before his death without going ashore, and Savarona has become a symbol of his deep connection to the sea.
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, He expressed his feelings about the yacht with the following sentence:
“I waited for this yacht like a child’s toy. Will this boat be my grave?”
President Recep Tayyip ErdoganAfter 9 months of extensive maintenance and repair work, the Gazi Mosque, the founder of the Republic, was modernized while remaining true to its original. Savarona yacht, the spiritual legacy of Mustafa Kemal Atatürkexamined the.
Closely following the entire renovation process President Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan He visited Savarona with the Turkish Armed Forces and saw the results of the work on site. President Erdoğan received detailed information about the renewed sections of the yacht and examined the improvements that were made. During the visit, Minister of National Defense Yasar Guler and Commander of the Naval Forces Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu was also present.
Savarona’s Renovation Works
In the modernization process carried out by the Istanbul Shipyard Command upon the instructions of President Erdoğan, the ship was cleaned of 80 tons of asbestos. In addition, the hull, machinery, navigation and electrical systems were repaired. While the inner deck sheets, fuel and water tanks were renewed, the yacht’s furniture was also restored to its original state and its maintenance was completed.
Following the meticulously carried out renovation, the ship’s sailing tests were successfully carried out. In full-speed tests, Savarona safely reached a speed of 17.2 knots. Savarona was transferred to the Naval Forces Command with State Status on August 17, 2023.
It Was the World’s Largest Yacht When Launched
SavaronaShe was the largest yacht in the world when she was launched in Hamburg on March 28, 1931. She was purchased by the Turkish Government on February 23, 1938, when she was only seven years old, and was presented to President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as a gift.
Today, Savarona, one of the largest yachts in the world, is in Turkey Ertugrul YachtIt is the Presidential yacht after . Atatürk spent fifty days on this yacht in the last period of his life, during which time he held cabinet meetings and hosted important guests here.
The yacht belongs to the Republic of Turkey. Although it was decided to be scrapped in 1989, it was leased to a businessman after the reactions. In 2013, Savarona was taken over by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and transferred to the Naval Forces Command in 2019.
Savarona’s Construction Process and the Meaning of Its Name
Savarona yachtan American who has a large fortune Emily Roebling Cadwallader It was designed for and named after a species of sea creature believed to live in the Indian Ocean. “War” It was named after a legendary African swan named Cadwallader. This name was Cadwallader’s maiden name. “Rona” and took the form of “Savarona”. The yacht was built in Hamburg by the famous German shipbuilding firm Blohm & Voss. The yacht’s keel was laid on 29 July 1930 and was completed and launched on 28 February 1931.
Savarona was the largest yacht of the time, measuring 124.3 meters in length. The yacht’s interior design was by Donald Starkey Designs and exterior design by Cox & Stevens. Marine engineering was undertaken by Cox & Stevens and Diana Yacht Design BV. The yacht’s total cost was $4 million, equivalent to $70.7 million in August 2021 values.
Emily Cadwallader and her husband, who had a keen interest in antiques, furnished the yacht with furniture reflecting French grandeur, including a pair of beds that had belonged to King Louis XVI of France and an original dining room that belonged to Louis XV.
The Cadwallader couple, who toured the world with their yacht under the Panama flag, were unable to take the Savarona home due to high taxes and anchored it in a German port. The yacht, which remained in port for five years, was put up for sale in February 1937 and began waiting for buyers in English and German ports.
Purchase by the Turkish Government
Savarona was purchased by the Turkish Government on February 23, 1938 for $1.2 million. This price is equivalent to $23.4 million in August 2021. The yacht was purchased by the Turkish Government on February 23, 1938, for the deteriorating health of Mustafa Kemal AtaturkAmong those who wanted to buy the yacht flying the American flag was Dr. Ftzer from Berlin, so the sale of the yacht caused diplomatic initiatives between the USA, Turkey and Germany.
Reason for Purchasing the Savarona Yacht
Prime Minister of the period Celal Bayarexplained the reasoning behind the purchase of Savarona as follows:
“Why was the yacht purchased? The Ertuğrul Yacht was in a condition that it could not perform its duty and it was definitely said by the authorized people that it was not safe for the voyage. Atatürk was ill, it was felt by his experts that he was in his last moments and finally, it was being said secretly and by word of mouth that we were faced with a terrible situation. This person, Atatürk, thought that it was possible to save his life only by getting some sea air and he thought so. It was at such a time that the Savarona yacht was decided to be purchased by the entire Assembly and my cabinet. I only feel spiritual pleasure from having done this duty.”
The yacht was visited by the Turkish delegation On March 24, 1938 It was received in a ceremony held in the United Kingdom. The flag-raising ceremony held in Southampton Port was attended by senior commanders from the British Navy and prominent figures from the city. Turkish flag, He was pulled aboard by London Ambassador Ali Fethi Okyar.
After receiving the Savarona, it was taken to Germany and underwent a two-month maintenance process at the shipyard where it was built. The yacht was equipped with a crew of 45 under the command of Said Özege, the captain of the Ertuğrul Yacht. He reached Turkey on June 1, 1938.
Ataturk’s Days Spent in Savarona
When the Savarona yacht arrived in Istanbul, Prime Minister Celâl Bayar, Presidential Chief Secretary Hasan Rıza Soyak, Chief Aide Celâl Tolgay, Kılıç Ali, Cevat Abbas, Salih Bozok and Istanbul Governor Muhittin Üstündağ accompanied Atatürk to visit. Ataturk liked the Savarona so much that he stayed on this yacht for 54 days without ever going ashore.
During this time, he hosted important guests such as King Carol of Romania. Ataturk also held meetings with the Council of MinistersThe last Council of Ministers meeting held on the yacht took place on July 9, 1938, and this meeting, whose main agenda was the Hatay issue, lasted 3.5 hours.
Ataturk expressed his feelings about the yacht with the following sentence:
“I waited for this yacht like a child’s toy. Will this boat be my grave?”
Ataturk’s health condition worsened, On July 24, 1938, Acar was taken from the yacht with his motor and transported to Dolmabahçe Palace. When he died on November 10, 1938, Savarona was also in the fleet that carried Atatürk’s coffin from Istanbul to İzmit. Farewell was bid to Atatürk with warships from different countries behind the Yavuz battleship.
Savarona Yacht, Period 1938-1979
After Ataturk’s death, Savarona was preserved as the Presidential yacht during the presidency of Ismet Inonu. During World War II, it was used in the Bosphorus to protect against air attacks. Kanlica Bayremained anchored at.
After the 1946 elections, the Savarona’s status became a subject of political debate, and on December 27, 1947, the sale of the yacht was brought to the agenda of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. The sale did not take place, and it was suggested that the ship be repaired and used as a hospital or school ship. After the Democrat Party came to power in 1950, Yacht rented to Egyptian rich However, when the excessive entertainment organized on the yacht caused reactions, the yacht was transferred to the Naval Forces Command in 1951 upon Celal Bayar’s request and It was converted into a training ship named “Güneş Dil”.
In 1951, Savarona visited Bombay, India with 65 students and attracted great attention. During this period, the yacht hosted important foreign statesmen such as Shah Reza and Shahbanu Sureyya of Iran, King Paulus of Greece and Malik II. Faisal of Iraq. In 1954 and 1955, Turkish President Celâl Bayar made official visits to Yugoslavia and Pakistan on behalf of the Treasury with Savarona.
Savarona Yacht Fire and Aftermath
Savarona anchored in Heybeliada on October 3, 1979 in a fire in the engine room It suffered major damage. As a result of the fire that lasted 24 hours, only the ship’s hull was saved; all the saloons, cabins and valuables inside were reduced to ashes. Some of Atatürk’s belongings were saved by throwing them into the sea, but the cause of the fire was not understood.
After the fire, Savarona underwent a 6-month repair process at the Gölcük Shipyard and was put back into service as a training ship. However, she was removed from the Naval Forces Command inventory on July 27, 1986. Some of the items saved from the fire were transferred to the Istanbul Maritime Museum in 1986.
Scrapping and Leasing
In 1989, the Savarona was scrapped. After this news was made public, the ship was leased for 49 years by Turkish businessman and shipowner Kahraman Sadıkoğlu. Sadıkoğlu’s company renovated the ship at the Tuzla Shipyard with a repair process that lasted three years, spending $45 million. The original steam turbine engines were removed and replaced with modern Caterpillar diesel engines. The renovated Savarona was used for tourism purposes. The room belonging to Atatürk on the yacht, which spent its summers on the Cote d’Azur and its winters in Istanbul, continued to be preserved as a museum.
In 2010, Savarona came to the fore during a prostitution operation in Antalya, It was revealed that she was rented to prostitution gangs.Following this incident, Sadıkoğlu’s contract, which operated the ship for 25 years, was cancelled in 2013 and Savarona was transferred to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Ministry of Culture and Tourism Period
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism restored the Savarona to be used for prestigious meetings and negotiations of state dignitaries at home and abroad. After this restoration, which lasted ten months, the ship was anchored at Kuruçeşme Port in Istanbul. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan used the Savarona in some of his international receptions. The first official reception held on the yachtMember of the Presidential Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina in March 2015 Bakir Izetbegovic‘s hosting was held.
Transfer to Naval Forces Command
Savarona in 2019was taken from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and transferred to the Naval Forces Command. During this process, the ship was brought to the Istanbul Shipyard Command in Pendik.
Equipment of the Savarona Yacht
Savarona has facilities such as a swimming pool, Turkish bath, cinema, 86-meter gold-plated staircase and a library with Atatürk’s personal belongings. In the room where Atatürk stayed for 55 days, the wooden bedstead he used in Thessaloniki, his cigarettes, handkerchief, gloves, photographs and the Presidential flag and walking stick are exhibited. The only document belonging to the ship from that period, the sketch, is located at the deck entrance.
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