Atatürk’s house in Thessaloniki hosts large numbers of visitors

THESSALONIKI

The house in the Greek port city of Thessaloniki where modern Türkiye founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was born and lived until he was 7 was opened to the public as a museum in 1953 and continues to attract scores of visitors to this day.

"Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Türkiye and the supporter of the Balkan Union, was born here," read a marble plaque, which was hung on the street-facing exterior of the house on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the nation’s foundation.

The house, which includes information panels about the cities where Atatürk lived and details of his life, also features a statue of Atatürk seated on a chair from the period when he was president, along with a statue of his mother, Zübeyde Hanım.

Hosting a large number of visitors from all around the world, especially during the summer months, the museum is a must-see spot for Turkish tourists in particular.

Allowing its visitors to embark on a journey of spiritual significance, the museum provides them with an insight into Atatürk’s early life.

“Atatürk is special to us, so is having the opportunity to come here and see this place. The majority of the Turkish people are not able to come because of the visa issue, but gladly we were able to,” said Vural Evenk, a visitor.

Coming all the way from Istanbul with his motorcycle, another visitor Cenk Al said, “I came here specifically to visit this house. It makes you feel different, moves you to tears and gives you goosebumps."

Serkan Çağlar, a Turkish resident from the northwestern province of Balıkesir, stated that they were moved by their visit but struggled with the insufficient number of road signs in the region.

“We came here for the first time. I think it was excellent. It was so nice to read what happened years ago. We saw the statues, they were great, too,” said Derin Çağlar, his daughter.