Ata Memorial House

Introduction

Belkahve, one of the strategic passes east of İzmir, holds a distinguished place in Turkish history as the point from which Mustafa Kemal Atatürk first gazed upon İzmir on 9 September 1922. Bornova Municipality opened the Belkahve Ata Memorial House Visitor Centre on 9 September 2016 to keep this significance alive. The centre conveys to visitors both the spirit of the War of Independence and the symbolic moment of İzmir's liberation.

The Strategic Importance of Belkahve

At an elevation of 260 metres, the Belkahve Pass served for centuries as the principal gateway from Anatolia to İzmir. Guarded by watchtowers during the Ottoman period, the pass was a strategic centre for both security and communications.

On the morning of 9 September 1922, Atatürk and his command staff paused here to observe the liberation of İzmir, witnessing the Turkish flag being raised over Kadifekale from this very spot. It is recounted that Atatürk addressed İsmet İnönü here with the words: "Paşam, the Anatolian campaign has concluded with honour." Belkahve is therefore a symbolic milestone in the founding of the Turkish Republic.

Monuments and Symbols

Atatürk Statue (1991)

Created by sculptor Prof. Dr Tankut Öktem, this 16-metre statue of Atatürk in marshal's uniform was for many years one of Turkey's largest Atatürk monuments and has become one of İzmir's landmarks.

Atatürk Fountain

The fountain from which Atatürk drank water at Belkahve on 9 September 1922, later restored during the governorship of Kazım Dirik Paşa, holds a cherished place in our collective memory. The fountain's original pediment is now exhibited in the Ata Memorial House.

Belkahve Atatürk Monument (1946)

The building, once used as a coffee house, was nationalised in 1946 and converted into the Belkahve Atatürk Monument. It was subsequently transformed into the Ata Memorial House.

The Ata Memorial House — Exhibition and Contents

The exhibition space houses numerous original artefacts from the War of Independence and the early Republican period:

• Weapons, bayonets, swords and canteens from the years of the National Struggle
• Flags, map cases, propaganda cards
• A handwritten prayer book, gramophone, typewriter, telephone
• Coffee cups and personal effects from everyday life
• A 1927 edition of the Nutuk (Great Speech) in Ottoman Turkish
• Specimens of the Medal of Independence
  

The centre also contains an extensive specialist library comprising solely books and newspaper editions relating to Atatürk. The screening room presents films recounting the years of occupation and liberation. The most striking feature of the museum is a life-size hyperrealistic sculpture of Atatürk; visitors may have a commemorative photograph taken here whilst enjoying a cup of sweetened Turkish coffee.

Belkahve Today

This site, where Atatürk uttered the words "I feared so greatly that something might happen to this city," is today one of İzmir's most significant places of commemoration. With its ceremonial ground, car park, walking paths and the Ata Memorial House, Belkahve serves as a historic meeting point for both Bornova residents and visitors alike.