Ataturk House Museum in Istanbul

Turkey is a secular state. Most of its inhabitants practice Islam, but in its most mild form. There are girls in short skirts, young people in punk clothes in Istanbul and no one shows any negative reaction. Nevertheless, there is still one cult in Istanbul. This is the cult of the founder of the Turkish republic, Ataturk.

This man is a living legend. A brilliant officer of the Ottoman Empire, he took part in the First World War. He proved himself as a talented officer and a competent ruler. After the defeat of the empire and its collapse, Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk’s name) didn’t put up with the partition of Turkey and proclaimed war of liberation. As the leader of opposition, he led Turkey to victory, freedom and independence. Realizing that this is not enough, he modernized Turkey, and for thirty years the country turned from back of beyond into one of the fastest developing countries in the world. Mustafa Kemal has developed industry in Turkey, made his country a part of Europe, returned its dignity and even... entered names which they didn’t use in the Ottoman Empire. As a sign of great respect, the first name which is documented in Turkey, was his name - Ataturk, which means "Father of Turks".

Therefore, visiting Istanbul you will see Ataturk portraits on the walls in the parks of Istanbul. There are monuments dedicated to Ataturk everywhere and every Turk speaks about this man with steady respect. House of Ataturk, where he lived and worked during his stay in Istanbul, became his museum. Here, in the building restored by Municipality of Istanbul, you will see a lot of personal belongings of Ataturk - his documents, photos... The entire first floor is dedicated to the mother of the famous Turk.

The museum is open every day except Thursdays and Sundays. The entrance is 5 lire, about $3.