The house in Thessaloniki, located on the northwest corner of the Aegean Sea in Greece, where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Türkiye, was born and lived until he was 7 years old, is a popular destination for tourists from Greece and special tours organized from Türkiye.
The key to the house, which the Municipality of Thessaloniki decided to purchase and present to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1933 on the occasion of the anniversary of Türkiye's founding, was handed over to the Turkish Consulate General in Thessaloniki in 1937.
Opened as a museum to visitors in 1953, the house took its current form after extensive restoration in 2012.
The house, which hosts visitors from Türkiye and all around the world, is one of the must-visit museums, especially for Turks vacationing in Greece during the summer.
Every day, hundreds of people visit the house through special tours organized from Türkiye.
Located right next to the Turkish Consulate General in Thessaloniki, the external façade of the Atatürk House facing the street features a marble plaque with the inscription "Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the renovator of the Republic of Türkiye and supporter of the Balkan Union, was born here," hung on Oct. 29, 1933, the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Türkiye.
Visitors are greeted in the courtyard by a tree planted by Ali Rıza Efendi, under which Atatürk played as a child, and a panel describing the history of the house.
The three-story building has the "Atatürk and Children's Room" on the ground floor.
On the upper floors, models displaying the house's former layout are presented in the foyers, while information panels about Atatürk's life and the cities where he lived are displayed in rooms named the "Thessaloniki Room" and "Monastir Room" on the first floor, and "Istanbul Room" and "Ankara Room" on the second floor.
In the "Ankara Room," there is also a statue of Atatürk sitting in the presidential chair from his term as president.
Visitors can closely examine the panels, photographs, personal belongings and clothing items of Atatürk, experiencing emotional moments in the house.
Many Turks can't hold back their tears when they see the silicone statues of Atatürk and his mother Zübeyde Hanım and the inscription "Atatürk opened his eyes to the world in this room. Closed them in Istanbul," in the room where Atatürk was born.
Guests who complete their visit often stop by the gift shops across from the house that sell souvenirs reminiscent of the Atatürk House and enjoy a cup of Turkish tea while viewing the house from a distance.
The historic house, which sees a large number of visitors, can be visited every day except Monday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. local time.
One of the visitors to the Atatürk House, Vural Evenk, who could walk with the help of crutches due to a broken leg in a cast, said he came from Istanbul and added: "Even with crutches, I wasn't troubled. For us, the love for Atatürk is something special. And seeing it is something else. There is a visa requirement here. Many citizens cannot come. We managed to come."
Cenk Al, who came from Istanbul on his motorcycle, said: "You feel different. Your emotions swell. Your hair stands on end, and you say, 'Wow.' I came here just for this house."
Serkan Çağlar, who came with his children from Balıkesir Edremit, expressed the impact of the visit and noted that there is a lack of directional signs in the area.
His daughter, Derin Çağlar, said: "This is our first time here. I think it was very beautiful. Reading the writings and seeing what happened years ago was very beautiful. We saw the statues, and they were also very beautiful."
Şule Gül, who came from Istanbul, expressed her happiness by saying: "Our trip is going well. We came to Thessaloniki especially to visit the house. We were moved. Seeing his mother's statue even makes one emotional."
