As one tours the “Ataturk and the War of Independence Museum” at Anitkabir in Ankara, the visitor acquires a sense of the power within Turkish society which enabled it to forge national unity and create a modern nation-state. The museum was reopened to the public on August 26, 2002 after new exhibition areas were added to the original museum. It is located within the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Turkey’s founder, first president, and the leader of the Turkish War of Independence.
This exceptional museum offer visitors a unique educational experience to acquire a broader understanding of Turkey and the Turkish people. It also provides the opportunity to relive the birth of Turkey, and gain insight into enduring common goals and shared values. While the museum is dedicated to the life of Ataturk, his commanders, and the people of this nation, it also aims to encourage a better understanding of the history of modern Turkey, the wartime conditions leading up to Turkey’s independence, and the importance of Ataturk’s reforms.
One enters the museum through the entrance of the Tower of the National Pact, whose symbol is the solemn vow which is represented by several hands placed upon a sword. The museum consists of four sections. In the first section, the personal belongings of Ataturk are exhibited along with uniforms, medals, and gifts presented to him by foreign statesmen. There are also many items which were donated to the museum by his adopted children. These displays provide visitors with the opportunity to see some of the Turkish nation’s most cherished belongings and national treasures, such as the identity card issued to Ataturk after Turkey became a sovereign nation. The halls are rich with political, scientific, cultural and military history. Nearby towers display Ataturk's private car, ceremonial and official cars, and the carriage which was used during Ataturk's funeral.
Among the many well-documented events, the second section of the museum records how Ataturk’s outstanding leadership qualities were first recognized during the 1915 Çanakkale Battle (also known as the Gallipoli Battle, or Dardanelles Campaign). The newly acquired collections in this section include large scale oil paintings, portraits of Ataturk’s companions and military commanders, and immense panoramas of the re-enactment of historic battles and the national struggle.

Visitors are suddenly immersed in wartime scenes with special sound effects and 3-dimentional settings, which enable the onlooker to acquire a sense of the wartime hardship endured by men and women. Authentic weaponry and artifacts are also used in these displays which focus on the Gallipoli Battle, Sakarya Pitch Battle, and the Great Attack. A map illustrating the treacherous Sèvres agreement, which sought to dismember Turkey, is presented in this section. Many images illustrate how the successful resistance to foreign occupation was a result of the determination of the Turkish people to fight for their liberty and sovereignty. The War of Independence was concluded on July 24, 1923 with the signing of the Lausanne Treaty. “Republic Day” celebrations throughout Turkey on October 29 mark the commemoration of the 1923 proclamation of the Republic of Turkey, and the election of Ataturk as Turkey's first president. The re-enactment of scenes includes depictions of tragic deaths, acts of heroism, and the fierce battles which were fought against invading foreign troops and collaborators. Other depictions are of daily life on the battleground, with scenes that include such activities as reading a letter or playing a musical instrument. Compassion and acts of humanity between Turkish soldiers and the invading forces at Çanakkale are also portrayed. Although Gallipoli witnessed one of the bloodiest battles of modern history, with over 400,000 Allied troops killed or wounded, it was also known as the “Gentleman’s War.”

Educators and the public can learn the truth about the history of Turkey and the facts of World War I, where hundreds of thousands of Turks were killed and wounded on numerous Eastern and Western fronts of the Ottoman Empire. The study of such facts is of utmost importance at a time when military history is becoming increasingly distorted on subjects concerning armed Armenian revolts, deportations and civil war conditions (which have been alleged as genocide).

Before entering the fourth section of the museum, which is an exhibition of over 3,000 books from Ataturk's Private Library, the visitor passes through 18 vaulted galleries which are devoted to the national struggle and the period of reforms. The visitor now becomes part of living history and of contemporary Turkey as he or she stands amidst showcases that exhibit the continuity of Turkey’s heritage—a result of the defining events in Turkish history and the fundamental pillars that gave rise to the principles and values on which Turkey today stands. The museum, thus, represents the torch of freedom and civilization which Ataturk lit to show the way forward for secular democratic advancement.

A hall of heroes honors notable men and women with biographies, busts, and photographs of civilians and soldiers who made significant contributions to the War of Independence. Major events in Turkish history are also presented in reliefs.

The history of Turkey from 1919 to 1938 is well-documented in this third section under the following topics: Turkish Commanders in the War of Independence; Occupation of the Country (Mondros); the National Forces; the Congresses; Inauguration of the Turkish Grand National Assembly; Uprisings; National Struggle in Çukurova, Antep, Maraş, Urfa and Trakya; First Victories at the Eastern and Western Fronts; Grand Victory, Mudanya Armistice and the Lausanne Treaty; Political Revolutions; Reforms in Education, Language and History; Reforms in Law, Women’s Rights, and Family Names; Reforms in Social Life; Fine Arts, Press, and Community Centers; National Security; Agriculture, Forestry, Industry and Commerce; Finance, Health, Sports and Tourism; Public Works and Transportation; Domestic and Foreign Political Events (1923-1938).

By the end of 2006, a large percentage of the estimated 7 million people who will have visited Anitkabir to pay tribute to Turkey’s founder, will also have visited this memorable museum. Because the museum serves an important role in educating the public and inspiring Turkey’s youth, a visit to the museum is essential for the well-being of Turkish democracy. This educational center helps citizens become aware of their civic responsibilities, and encourages them to be informed citizens committed to the values and principles of Turkey’s constitution. A better understanding of these historic events will no doubt help to preserve and protect these principles, encourage the next generation to contribute to Turkish democracy, and inspire a new generation of citizens to transmit these ideals. While the museum enables Turkish citizens to honor Turkey’s heroes and the countless sacrifices they made for their country, foreigners who visit the museum can gain insight into the events, people, historic places, and constitutional principles which are significant to this nation. They can also better understand what it means to be a Turk, and the important role Turkey has played in world affairs since World War I. As the year 2023 and the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic approaches, the museum offers opportunity for special reflection on the meaning of Turkey for Turks and for peoples of other nations.

ATATURK AND THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE MUSEUM

The entrance of the museum is from the Tower of National Pact which is on the right when you look at the mausoleum from the ceremony square. It consists of 4 major sections. In the first section; the personal belongings of Atatürk are exhibited; in the second section Çanakkale Battles and the War of Independence are illustrated with panoramas and oil paintings; in the third section, national struggle and the reforms are presented in separate galleries, and books from Atatürk's Private Library are exhibited in the fourth section.
Atatürk Museum, the first section between the Tower of Revolution and the Tower of National Pact where personal belongings of Atatürk are exhibited, was transformed into Atatürk and the War of Independence Museum on August 26, 2002, after it was rearranged according to modern exhibition techniques and united with the other sections. In this section, inaugurated on June 21, 1960, personal belongings of Atatürk and gifts presented to him by the foreign statesmen are exhibited. In the museum, there are also belongings of Atatürk donated by A. Afet INAN, Rukiye ERKİN and Sabiha GÖKÇEN who are Atatürk's adopted children.
In the second section of Atatürk and the War of Independence Museum, at first three panoramas of Çanakkale Battle, Sakarya Pitch Battle and the Great Attack draw attention. These panoramas are provided with a three dimensional effect by the help of a separate area arranged in front of them.
Battlefields and the period of the battles are reanimated with respect to what happened by the help of war objects and models used in the arrangement of this three dimensional space. By this technique, applied for the first time in Turkey, we try to make visitors feel the hardships endured through the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. Moreover in this section, portraits of primarily Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and other commanders who participated in the war of independence and paintings of large scale depicting various scenes of the national struggle are presented.

Painting of daily life during the Çanakkale Battles

The third part consists of thematic exhibition sites placed in eighteen galleries surrounding the panoramas section. These vault galleries, where the events about the Atatürk period between 1919 and 1938 are presented, provide a different atmosphere for Atatürk and the War of Independence Museum. In the arrangements of the showcases in the galleries, located in the corridor between the base walls of Anıtkabir and the columned hall supporting the Hall of Honor of the Mausoleum, originally constructed for burying the deceased presidents of the Turkish Republic, there are 3,000 pictures about the War of Independence and the reforms of Atatürk together with the explanations in Turkish and English.
Reliefs prepared by worthy artists strengthen the visuality of the vault galleries. Besides, along the corridor of vault galleries, there are busts and short life stories of 20 soldier and civilian heroes contributed to the victory of the war of independence.
Fourth section of the museum is the Private Library of Atatürk between the Tower of Republic and the Tower of Defence of Rights. In this section 3123 books of Anıtkabir Collection from Atatürk's own library are presented in a classified way according to their topics. In here there are also touch-screen kiosks, titled "Atatürk and Book", by which Atatürk's intellectual perspective is stressed.