Adana Atatürk House Museum

Adana Atatürk House Museum is located in the Kayalıbağ Neighborhood of the Seyhan District in Adana Province, Türkiye. The mansion, built in the 19th century, is an original example of traditional Adana residential architecture. A two-story wooden frame structure with a gabled roof and masonry elements, it exhibits characteristics of Ottoman-era civil architecture.

Atatürk House Museum (Türkiye Culture Portal)

History

The mansion was purchased in 1902 by Suphi Pasha, a descendant of the prominent Ramazanoğulları family of Adana. The building, originally constructed in 1882, was later expanded with additional sections. Due to its architectural and historical significance, it has been officially registered as a “Protected Immovable Cultural Asset”.

Atatürk’s Visits

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk visited Adana a total of nine times. He stayed at Suphi Pasha’s Mansion during his second visit (15 March 1923) and his third visit (17 January 1925). His first visit in 1918 was to assume command of the Yıldırım Army Group, and it was in this city that the foundational ideas of the National Struggle took shape. In a speech delivered at the Türk Ocağı in 1923, he described this intellectual process as follows:

“Gentlemen, my first impulse to act upon these events took root in this land, in this beautiful Adana!”

Transformation into a Museum

After a period of vacancy and use by public institutions, Suphi Pasha’s Mansion was restored in 1976 under the initiative of Korgeneral Bedrettin Demirel, Commander of the 6th Corps, and converted into the “Atatürk Science and Culture Museum”. In 1981, on the centenary of Atatürk’s birth, it was opened to the public under the name “Atatürk House Museum”. The building suffered damage in the 1998 earthquake and was reopened on 15 March 2003 after restoration.

Exhibited Areas and Thematic Rooms

The upper floor of the museum displays numerous artifacts and documents relating to Atatürk and the War of Independence.

• Bedroom: The original room where Atatürk stayed.
• Aide’s Room: The section where Atatürk’s aide resided.
• Press Room: Contains documents related to the newspaper “Yeni Adana” and journalists of the period.
• Warriors’ Room: Displays medals and portraits of heroes such as Abdulgani Girici and others.
• Arms Room: Exhibits weapons used during the War of Independence, a model of Atatürk’s birthplace, and coins.
• Kuvay-i Milliye Room: Features busts of Atatürk, İnönü, and other heroes of the struggle.
• Study Room: Contains an archive furnished with newspapers and books from the period.
• Hatay Room: A special room created in reference to the Hatay delegation’s visit and Atatürk’s statement “The Turkish homeland of forty centuries cannot remain in enemy hands”.

Cultural and Monumental Significance

The museum is not only a structure associated with Atatürk but also holds symbolic value as the site where the intellectual origins of the National Struggle took root. Every year on 15 March, the anniversary of Atatürk’s arrival in Adana is commemorated with official ceremonies at this museum.