Photo of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

• Name of the item: photo of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
• Period / dating: photographed in 1922
• Origin: a gift from Turkey
• Dimensions: 50 x 60 cm

Short story (description):

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk is on the picture. The painting is part of the permanent exhibition in the Memorial Room, which is located on the second floor of the museum. He was photographed in 1922, dressed in a Marshal uniform and his head is covered with a natural fur cap. Ataturk is characterized by his sharp look and mustache at that time.

Ataturk was born in Thessalonica in 1881 and died in 1938 in Istanbul. He stayed in Bitola from 1886 to 1889 as a pupil in a military high school located in the museum’s building at that time. After finishing high school, he left for Istanbul where he graduated on the Military Academy. Later he is known as a commander of many great battles, among which is the Battle of Chanakale. He is a great reformer and the first president of modern Turkey since 1923. That is why he was known by his nickname Ataturk, which means the father of the Turks.

Today, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s memorial room is visited by a great number of visitors coming from the country and abroad, especially from Turkey. In the Memorial Room, his life is shown in photographs, especially when he was President. Two copies of his uniform, a small library, a wax figure, a bronze figure are also exhibited. A film about his life and deeds is presented to visitors.

• The project “Increased accessibility and improved interpretation of NI Institute and museum Bitola” was implemented with the support of the Headley Trust UK through the project of the Balkan Museum Network “Stories of the Balkans”.