The Istanbul Municipality wanted to build a summer mansion for Atatürk. After Atatürk determined the location as Florya, he assigned Seyfi Arkan, who had previously completed the construction of the Çankaya mansion and is known today as “Atatürk’s architect”. Since the railway passed near the selected project area, it was suggested that the railway be moved so that Atatürk would not be disturbed by the noise. However, Atatürk did not want this and prevented the move by saying, “My dear, I live on a mountain in Ankara, I am confined to a palace in Istanbul, let me see people coming and going here and hear the noise of the train.” Understanding what Atatürk wanted in this context, Seyfi Arkan designed the project as a work office and a rest house while completing the project. In order to emphasize the new image of the Republic, he kept the beach in front of the mansion open to the use of the public, emphasizing that the hierarchy between the ruler and the ruled had been abolished. After examining the project, Atatürk was particularly impressed by the public beach detail and expressed his satisfaction by saying, “I was very touched by your studying me together with my people.”

The construction of the mansion, which began with the application of the foundation pillars in June 1935, was completed in 43 days. The mansion, which we reached by an 80-meter bridge from the shore, was built entirely of wood on a concrete base fixed to 238 iron legs driven into the sea. The area covered by the mansion is a total of 626 square meters, with a 281 square meter terrace, 275 square meter pier and 320 square meter bridge base in addition to a closed 1534 square meter base.

The mansion contains the basic elements of the modern architectural concept. It looks like a ship anchored to the land with its plain white plain lines and simple aesthetics and its external appearance and its bridge that acts as a rope connecting it to the land on the sea. The fragmented mass plan, plain, plain lines and wide glass surface are dominated by a comfortable and functional design concept. It consists of two rectangular masses on the north-south and east-west axes that meet at right angles on the sea and is connected to the shore by a bridge. The meeting hall with rounded corners where the two masses meet, while receiving plenty of light with its large glass surfaces, also gives movement to the masses. The lighting tower that acts as the chimney of the structure resembling a ship, the round windows (portholes) placed at equal intervals on the west side and the square guillotine windows on the end axis that create asymmetry with these windows are among the points where the period aesthetics are emphasized.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk lived in the mansion, which was opened for use on August 1935, 14, for a long time in June and July 1936, used it especially for political and scientific meetings, and hosted important guests here, including King Edward VIII of England and Madame Simpson. The mansion was last used by Atatürk on May 28, 1938, and after his death, these structures were used as the summer residence of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey during the terms of İsmet İnönü, Celal Bayar, Cemal Gürsel, Cevdet Sunay, Fahri Korutürk and Kenan Evren. The mansion, which was transferred to the Department of National Palaces by the Presidency on September 16, 1988, underwent a 5-year restoration and was completed in 1993, and became the Atatürk Museum. The Guest House Building, Aide-de-camp Building, Restaurant Building, General Secretariat Building, and Municipality Building, which are located on the coast and have a similar architectural style to the Mansion, have been arranged as TBMM social facilities.

✶ Media

✶ Related Places

✶ Resources