Ataturk's Residence During The War of Independence

The house is located in the Ankara railway Station, which was built during the construction of the Baghdad Railway. After Atatürk's arrival in Ankara on 27 th December 1919 the building was used as his lodgings for a considerable period of time. It witnessed the making of the most important domestic and international decisions during the years 1920-1922. For example, the plans for the War of Independence offensive were drawn up here; the treaty with the French was agreed and signed here on October 21 st, 1921, and the decision to form the Grand National Assembly was take here on 23 rd April 1920. The latter is now celebrated every year as the Children's Holiday.

The building was restored by the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) and opened to the public as a museum on 24 th December 1964. The purpose was to keep alive the memories of the "Great Leader" in this building, which has a special role in the history of the Turkish Republic.

The upper storey comprises the Atatürk's study, a meeting room and a bedroom. The ground floor is used as a Railway Museum, where objects and document pertaining to the railway that has existed since 1858 are exhibited. The display is divided into five section.

The first contains commemorative railway medallions, the scissors used in the opening ceremonies of various lines and silver tableware once used in the restaurant car. The second section includes a display of seals, certificates and identity cards used during the time of the Ottoman Empire. There is also a working model of a steam locomotive that was presented to the first Director General of Railways, Behiç Erkin, by the German Railways Management. The third section has a gilt miniature railway wagon that was presented to the Sultan Abdülaziz by the British Government, together with a desk, decorated with mother -of- pearl, and wall clocks that the sultan used on his personal train. The fourth section comprises models of the locomotives, freight cars and passenger carriages used by the Turkish State Railways. The fifth and the last section includes examples of the telephone and telegrafph machines used in the Ottoman period, together with the model of a prison car put into service by the British in 1905.