Sabiha Rıfat Hanım later put her signature on many permanent works. Her family and all her managers were proud of her. During her years in office in Ankara, she served in the construction of the most important government buildings. After working successfully in the construction of todays Grand National Assembly of Turkey building, in 1939, she married her school friend Ramzi Gürayman. Later, during her return from the United States, where she went for a short time, she found a note on her desk stating that she was appointed as the "Chief Engineer" in the construction of the monument tomb of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic, which had been planned for many years.”
She could not control her tears while reading the article. Taking part in the construction of the tomb of Atatürk, whom she loved very much, the hero, the guide, was the equivalent of Sabiha Rıfat Gürayman’s entire life. She could not look at this task like a job. This was the best thing that ever happened to her. When it’s thought of that way, no one in the world could fulfill this task as well as she could.
And that’s what happened. Anıtkabir, one of the most important designs in the world today, won this title thanks to the care of its practitioners that day. The construction of Anıtkabir, whose foundation was laid towards the end of the Second World War, took 11 years.
Sabiha Gürayman was slowly approaching retirement. In her 30 years of epic professional life, she has been rewarded, admired and exemplified by numerous politicians, businessmen and her fellow citizens. She was being honoured in every construction site she worked on. She retired from her job, which she did with tremendous attention, dedication and precision. After losing her beloved husband Remzi Bey, she settled in İzmir in 1993 and lived in İzmir until the end of her life.
The story of Sabiha Rıfat Gürayman lies behind the success of our women's volleyball teams, who have made a name for themselves all over the world and have written their name in history as the "Sultans of the Net". Today, every stone of Anıtkabir, visited by millions of people with joy, has traces of her.
Sabiha Gürayman, who built many bridges and roads in her professional life, also built bridges between our past and our present with her determination and courage for life. With her courage and exemplary behavior, she continues to build roads between today and tomorrow.
halil