After World War I the Turkish nation waged its greatest battle for survival in Anatolia. Led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk the War of Independence lasted from 1919 to 1923, concluding with the establishment of the Turkish Republic. This war was a turning point in Turkish history, and a torch of liberty not only for the Turks but for many nations in the same situation. Possibly the greatest evidence of this fact is that around seven million people, tens of thousands of them foreigners, visit Anýtkabir, the mausoleum built for Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder and first president of the Turkish Republic, every year. The Atatürk and War of Indepence Museum was founded by the Office of the Chief of General Staff at the mausoleum, and opened by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on 26 August 2002. The objective of the museum is to enlighten future generations about Atatürk and the epic story of the Turkish natiost struggle for survival.

It is situated in the colonnaded and vaulted areas beneath the Hall of Honour in the mausoleum. The Gallipoli campaign and the major battles of the War of Independence - the Sakarya, the Great Attack and the Commander-in-Chief, the early years of the Turkish Republic and Atatürk's life and achievements are exhibited using various techniques to present the material in a striking way. The entrance to the museum is through the door of the Tower of the National Pact to the right when facing the mausoleum from the parade ground. It consists of three sections. In the first are exhibited personal possessions belonging to Atatürk, in the second panoramas and oil paintings depicting the Gallipoli campaign and the War of Independence, and in the third section various aspects of the War of Independence. The first part of the museum between the Tower of the National Pact and the Tower of Revolution is the original Atatürk Museum, which was later rearranged using new display techniques and combined with the other sections to form the Museum of Atatürk and the War of Independence.

In the same section are portraits of Atatürk and other Turkish commanders, and large paintings depicting various scenes from the war.

The third section consists of 18 vaulted areas in the corridors surrounding the Panorama Section, each area devoted to a particular theme. These self-contained thematic exhibitions are devoted to various aspects of the years 1919-1938, and create an unusual atmosphere. This area beneath the Hall of Honour consists of a colonnaded hall, a corridor between the foundation walls, and vaulted cells originally intended for the burial of future Turkish presidents. These cells now contain display cases with around three thousand photographs relating to the War of Independence and Atatürk's reforms, together with explanatory information.

In the same section are relief carvings and busts of twenty heroes, both military and civilian, who played key roles in the War of Independence. A recent innovation at the museum is an audio commentary system in five languages for visitors. There is also a special lift for the disabled.

The Atatürk and War of Liberation Museum is dedicated to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and all those heroic individuals who contributed to the founding of the Turkish Republic .

The museusng mission is to pass knowledge of the national struggle to new generations, and spread the light of the torch of liberty which Atatürk lit in the first quarter of the 20th century to the whole world.



* Mehmet Özel is an art coordinator