Ankara Ataturk Mausoleum and Museum – Chapter 3
Ataturk Library: A small door leads from the Ataturk Museum to the Reform Tower, which was made the location of Ataturk Library in 1967.
3113 volumes of books which Ataturk had read and studied, were brought from Cankaya Residence and can be seen in Ataturk Library today. On the pages of many of the books, which are in several languages and concern Turkish and World civilization, culture, and history can be found notes and marks in Ataturk’s hand writing. Thus the Library is an irreplaceable documentary archive. To the right of the exit to the Mausoleum on the ground floor, are visitors’ rest rooms, and a refreshment stand, and to the left store rooms and lavatories.
The Old Residence, (Cankaya Ataturk Museum) On December 27, 1919, Ataturk came to Ankara as President of the Representative Committee of the Anatolia and Trakya Defense of Rights Society. Together with his companions he stayed for a while in the Agricultural School, moved later to a house at Ankara Station, and then moved to Cankaya. Cankaya, on the side of a hill commanding a view of Ankara, proved to be a peaceful place, suitable for carrying out his work. Here there was a vineyard house belonging to Bulgiirzade Tevfik Efendi. The people of Ankara donated this house, called Army House, together with the vineyards surrounding it, to the Ministry of National Defense. The Ministry then gave the house to Commander in Chief, Ataturk. The Old House, as the Army House was later called, was enlarged with a second story built of stone, after the New Presidential House was built in 1932. At the front was a courtyard with a pond. After marrying Miss Latife in January 1923, Ataturk appointed the architect, alter the house to suit his requirements. In a short time the courtyard was covered over and turned into a two storied salon, towers were added which contained extra rooms, fire places were built, and the ceilings were decorated with Turkish motifs. Thus the Old House was used as the residence of the first President of the Republic until 1932. The Old House is a monument to the history of the construction of the new Turkish state, where many meetings were held and historical decisions were taken.
