Atatürk Konutu Ve Demiryollari Müzesi

The “Direksiyon Binası,” one of the few state buildings in Ankara during the War of Independence, continues to be a living witness to the national struggle. When you visit this building, where important historical decisions were made, you will take a journey through time to the years of struggle and witness the spirit of the years when the Republic was founded.

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Located within the TCDD Ankara Garı Complex, the Direksiyon Binası was built in 1892 during the construction of the Baghdad Railway and, from Atatürk’s arrival in Ankara on 27 December 1919 onward, was allocated to his use as the Commander-in-Chief Headquarters and residence.

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In the Direksiyon Binası, one of the headquarters of the national struggle that hosted many important decisions taken between 1920-1922;

- The action plans of the War of Independence were prepared,

- On 21 October 1921, the negotiations and Signing Ceremony of the Ankara Agreement made with France took place,

- On 23 April 1920, the decisions were taken to establish the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and to celebrate 23 April as National Sovereignty and Children’s Day,

- The phrase “Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation.” was also uttered for the first time in this residence by the Great Leader.

In order to keep Atatürk’s cherished memory alive, this building, which was also featured on postage stamps commemorating Ata’s first death anniversary and holds a distinguished place in the history of the Republic of Turkey, was rearranged and opened as a Museum on 24 December 1964.

Atatürk Konutu Museum has the distinction of being the first Institutional Museum with private museum status under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture.

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The stone building, with its original keystone arches, stone-decorated corners, and wooden roof eaves, was designed as a two-storey structure. Although the keystone-arched window decorations are plain, they are the only ornamental element in the building. With its doors opening onto the history of TCDD and the National Struggle, the museum invites its visitors to experience the spirit of the period.

In Atatürk Konutu, whose ground floor was arranged as the Railway Museum, various documents related to the railways from 1856 to the present day, commemorative medals, scissors used in that period, rail samples, and items such as silver service sets used in dining and sleeping wagons are among the works exhibited in the museum.

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In addition, seals, diplomas, identity cards, tickets used during the Ottoman period, locomotive plates used by TCDD in train operations, and telephone and telegraph machines used in communications are also presented for visitors’ appreciation.

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The gold-plated miniature wagon presented to Sultan Abdülaziz by the British Government, the mother-of-pearl inlaid desk used by the sultan in his private wagon, wall clocks, and the pickaxe and shovel used by Atatürk at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Samsun-Çarşamba Railway Line in 1925 are among the museum’s works.

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The steam locomotive model presented to TCDD’s first General Manager Behiç Erkin by the German Railways Administration is also among the museum’s works worth seeing.

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The painting titled “Kurtuluş Savaşı’nda Kağnı Çeken Kadınlar,” which is among the most important works of the world-famous impressionist painter İbrahim Çallı, is also one of the important works exhibited in the Museum.

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This Çallı classic, dating from 1920, measures 3 metres by 2 metres. The painting’s original single-piece frame reflects the wood craftsmanship of the period. The work has a special significance as the first of Çallı’s largest paintings.

The second floor is reached by means of the high-ceilinged stairs located on the ground floor. The second floor of the museum was designed as a Residence-Museum, including Atatürk’s reception room, study and bedroom, as well as Fikrîye Hanım’s room.

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In the Museum, where the personal belongings of Atatürk and Fikrîye Hanım are also exhibited, the 1340 dated (1924) Vatan Yevmi Gazetesi containing Fikrîye Hanım’s death notice, population certificate, family tree, photographs, bedspread, oud, and furniture carrying the memory of that day to the present, donated to the museum by Fikrîye Hanım’s nephew Hayri Özdinçer, are preserved in their original condition.

Places to Visit in Ankara

Source: TCDD Address: TCDD Gar Area Ulus Ankara