The very first presentation in Bitola’s Museum connected to the famous statesman, the father of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Attaturk, dates from 1978, with the promotion of the first exhibition of photos, documents and facsimiles presenting the life and activities of the great Turkish reformer. As it is known, he graduated from the military high school (Mektebi askeri idadi) in 1899. At that time the high school was housed in the building built for that purpose in 1848 and known as the old Bitola Barracks, where now we have the present day building of the Bitola Museum.
This permanent exhibition starts with the available materials, supplemented by certain items and copies accommodated in two glass cabinets, and a memorial statue of Kemal Ataturk.
It is promoted for the first time in 1994, in rooms covering an area of 40 m2. In 1998, following the agreement signed by the government of the Republic of Macedonia and the government of the Republic of Turkey, 120 m2 were adapted for this exhibition by the staff of the Bitola museum and experts from Turkey, thus giving the exhibition presenting the life and work of Kemal Ataturk its present day appearance. The president of the Republic of Macedonia at that time, Kiro Gligorov, together with the president of the Republic of Turkey, Sulejman Demirel promoted this exhibition on 3 October 1998.
