Balikesir – Kuva-yi Milliye (National Forces) Museum
History
The building, which was used as the Municipality Building until it became the Kuva-yi Milliye (National Forces) Museum, was built in 1840, for the Treasury Officer of the provincial subdistrict of Karesi, Mehmet Pasha, as a lodge. Later on, in the late 19th century, it vanished in a fire. Mehmet Pasha’a grandson Halit Pasha built a new mansion in its place and during the Independence War it was utilized for important services.
After the occupation of Izmir on May 15th 1919, the people from Balikesir gathered on the 16th of May 1919, declared the beginning of armed struggle and the flame of the National Forces issued forth from this building. It served the 2nd Army Corps Command and Ali Hikmet Pasha as Headquarters for many years. It became the operations centre for the Izmir Northern Fronts Committee. On 6 February 1923, Atatürk, on his first visit to Balikesir, stayed in a building within the same compound, which was opened as the “Literacy House” in 1933 and, on 18 May 1998 was again opened to public service as “The Library of the History of the National Struggle”.
Kuva-yi Milliye Museum
The municipality, taking action in the years 1985 and 1986, issued board decrees to open the building as a museum. The building had been used as headquarters during the National Struggle. Later on, the use of this building was permanently given to the Directorate of the Historical Remains and Monuments of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. A protocol was signed between the Balikesir Governor’s office and the Municipality on this issue.
Later on, after the establishment of the Directorate of the Museum, the restoration work was speeded up and the museum opened to the public on 6 September 1996.
The Kuva-yi Milliye Museum consists of two sections: in the ground floor with an area of 120 square metres, the decisions in writing taken by the 41 persons who were the initiators of the establishment of Kuva-yi Milliye in Balikesir, the congress declarations, the personal effects of these heroic people and their photographs, and Atatürk’s photographs taken during his visit to Balikesir are displayed. On the first floor, of the same areal space, the archeological and ethnographical objects of the region are exhibited.
Address: Anafartalar Avenue, Balikesir
Telephone: +90 (266) 243 31 81
