Thessaloniki Ataturk Museum

Location: Old Town Ano Poli
Don't miss: Museums guide (free admission dates and other useful info)

The Atatürk Museum in Thessaloniki is housed in the residence of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey. It is a three-level building located in the heart of the city, next to the Turkish Consulate. The house was turned into a museum after the city council of Thessaloniki ceded the building to the Turkish state.

The ground floor has four rooms of no major significance in terms of interest. The first floor has a living room with European sofas, a mangal, and a console, a large room with low sofas (minderia), the room of Kemal’s mother, and the kitchen with then-used cooking utensils. On the second floor, one will see the room where the Turkish leader was born. Opposite it, there’s a space where personal items of his are exhibited, including official clothing, cutlery, smoking-related objects, and others. Documents from his school life are hung on the walls too.
Lastly, a pomegranate tree planted by Kemal’s father can still be seen in the courtyard.

Since Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was Turkey's most defining figure of the 20th century but also ranks among the most important personalities throughout the country’s history, many Turks visit the museum and treat it like a religious space once they enter it. Of course, it is no coincidence that Atatürk means “the father of Turks”.