Atatürk Plaza is a small but historically resonant public space in the Old City, centred on the Turkish Soldiers Monument — a contemporary memorial erected by Turkey to honour the Ottoman defenders of Beersheba who died during the 1917 battle. The adjacent Atatürk Memorial features a bust of the Turkish republic's founder, who served as a military commander in the region before rising to lead Turkey.
The combination of Israeli heritage city, Ottoman memorial, and Turkish diplomatic gesture in one small square makes this an oddly moving spot. It's a reminder that the ground under Be'er Sheva's streets has been contested by many armies, and that the city's modern identity sits on layers of history that are still, in a small way, being negotiated.