Atatürk and Congress Museum

Located in the center of Sivas, the Atatürk and Congress Museum is a building of architectural and historical significance that witnessed the foundation process of the Republic of Turkey. The building hosted the Sivas Congress between September 4–11, 1919, and served as the headquarters of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the Representative Committee during the Turkish War of Independence.

History

The building was constructed on October 5, 1892, by the then-governor of Sivas, Mazlum Paşazade Mehmet Memduh Bey, to serve as a Mülki İdadî (a high school-level educational institution). It gained the status of a Vilayet-i Sultani (provincial high school) in 1911. While the building functioned as an educational institution in the late Ottoman period, it played a critical role during the post-World War I developments that led to the foundation of the Republic of Turkey.

Between September 4–11, 1919, the Sivas Congress was held in this building. From September 2 to December 18, 1919, it was used for 108 days as the "National Struggle Headquarters" by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the Representative Committee. Following the Congress, the building served as a Noncommissioned Officer School for a time. In 1924, it was turned into "Sivas High School," operating under this name until the 1970s and later as "Congress High School" until 1981.

The structure was transferred to the Ministry of Culture in 1983. After renovations, it was opened to the public as the “Atatürk Congress and Ethnography Museum” on December 19, 1990. In 2009, it was handed over to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. In 2018, it was reallocated to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and refunctioned as the “Atatürk and Congress Museum” under the Directorate of Sivas Museums.

Architectural Features

The building reflects the Baroque-Empire architectural style and consists of three floors, including a basement, built around an interior courtyard. The exterior façades are made of ashlar and rubble stone, while the inner sections use a wooden frame infilled with stones (dolmagöz wall technique). The main building plan is approximately 39.5 × 33.5 meters and is nearly square in shape.

There are four entrances to the building. The main entrance is on the northwest façade, facing Taşlı Street, and features a semi-circular arched, double-wing wooden door measuring 1.45 × 3 meters. The corners of the façade extend outward by 1.8 meters, and the window moldings reach the ground. Eight string courses surround the building, six of which continue around the entire structure, while two are limited to the entrance façade. Some string courses feature decorative blank cartouches and lozenge patterns.

The northeast and southwest façades are symmetrically designed. The southeastern rear façade has a balcony supported by four columns above the stairs leading to the ground floor. This arrangement was designed to open the building towards İstasyon Street after the introduction of railway service to Sivas in 1930.

At the center of the building is a rectangular courtyard measuring 7 × 14 meters, with 1-meter-thick walls, later enclosed by renovations. While the original roof was a terrace surrounded by railings, it now has a high hipped roof.

Exhibition Layout

Ground Floor

The ground and first floors serve as exhibition areas. The rooms on the ground floor include:

• Mondros Armistice and Occupations Room
• Sivas Congress Documentary Room
• National Struggle Press and Publishing Activities Room
• From Samsun to Sivas Room
• Communication in the National Struggle Room
• National Forces - Societies - Congresses Room
• Museum Shop
• Conference Hall
• Children's Room
• Library

First Floor

The exhibition rooms on the first floor are:

• Mustafa Kemal Room
• National Struggle Commanders Room
• Room Where Mustafa Kemal Stayed
• Congress Hall
• Sivas Congress Room
• Sivas Congress Thematic Narrative Room
• Mandate and Protection Issue Room
• Sivas People and the Congress Room
• Women in the National Struggle Room
• After the Sivas Congress Room
• Outcome of the Sivas Congress Room

Artifacts and Documents

The museum houses 41 ethnographic artifacts related to Atatürk and the Sivas Congress. The desk used by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his rest room during the Congress are preserved in their original form. The exhibition halls also display:

• Documents related to events prior to the Congress
• Atatürk’s instructions and communiqués regarding the Congress
• Telegraph room used for wartime communication
• Documents belonging to the Anatolian Women’s Defense of the Homeland Society established in Sivas
• The printing machine and issues of the İrade-i Milliye newspaper
• Records of the Sivas Congress
• Archival samples from the Presidential Archives, Turkish General Staff Military History Archive, and the Atatürk Research Center