Florya Atatürk Marine Mansion
Encyclopedia
Florya Atatürk Marine Mansion, is a historic presidential residence located offshore in the Sea of Marmara
in the Florya
neighborhood of the Bakırköy
district in Istanbul
, Turkey
.
It was built in 1935 by the municipality of Istanbul, for Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
's recreational use. The building is a historic house museum today.
style by architect Seyfi Arkan, who was given the commission in 1935 by the municipality of Istanbul, the mansion was completed on August 14 the same year, and was gifted to Atatürk.
The building is constructed on steel piles driven into the seabed
and is connected to the sandy beach about 70 m (229.7 ft) away with a wooden pier
. The L-shaped, one-floor mansion consists of a reception hall, a reading room, bedrooms and bathroom. There are also service and staff rooms at the complex. The total area covered by the mansion including the pier is 602 m² (6,479.9 sq ft).
A grove was created in the yard of the ruined Agios Stefanos Monastery as the garden for the mansion on Atatürk's taking possession. This grove is called "Florya Atatürk Grove" and is today a public park. The mansion is considered an example of the "Turkish Early Republican architecture".
, Atatürk came to the mansion by boat and enjoyed swimming surrounded by local people. He used the mansion for the last three years of his life as a summer office as well as for recreation. In 1936, he stayed from June 6 until July 28 at the mansion. His last stay was on May 28, 1938, about six months before his death.
The mansion was also used for important receptions and scientific meetings. Among its famous visitors were Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor and his wife Wallis, Duchess of Windsor.
Following the death of Atatürk, Turkish presidents such as İsmet İnönü
, Celal Bayar
, Cemal Gürsel
, Cevdet Sunay
, Fahri Korutürk
and Kenan Evren
used the Florya Mansion as a summer residence.
The museum exhibits furniture, tableware, personal belongings including swimwear, as well as a collection of Atatürk's photographs taken at the site.
on the coastal road from Florya to Küçükçekmece
.
It can be reached from Florya train station on the Istanbul-Halkalı commuter line, which is about 500 m (1,640.4 ft) away. Bus line "73T Yenibosna
Metro
-Florya" of İETT serves the location as well.
The museum is open from 9 am to 4 pm (in winter months from 9 am to 3 pm) local time except Mondays and Thursdays.
Sea of Marmara
The Sea of Marmara , also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea, and in the context of classical antiquity as the Propontis , is the inland sea that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, thus separating Turkey's Asian and European parts. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Black...
in the Florya
Florya
Florya is a neighborhood belonging to the Bakırköy district of the greater Istanbul, Turkey. It is located along Marmara Sea, and borders to the northeast the neighborhood of Yeşilköy, to the northwest that of Küçükçekmece. It is one of the high class and rich areas of Istanbul...
neighborhood of the Bakırköy
Bakirköy
This article is about a neighbourhood in IstanbulBakırköy is a neighborhood, municipality and district on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey. The quarter is densely populated, has a residential character and is inhabited by a middle class population...
district in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
It was built in 1935 by the municipality of Istanbul, for Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
's recreational use. The building is a historic house museum today.
Architecture
Designed in the BauhausBauhaus
', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
style by architect Seyfi Arkan, who was given the commission in 1935 by the municipality of Istanbul, the mansion was completed on August 14 the same year, and was gifted to Atatürk.
The building is constructed on steel piles driven into the seabed
Deep foundation
A deep foundation is a type of foundation distinguished from shallow foundations by the depth they are embedded into the ground. There are many reasons a geotechnical engineer would recommend a deep foundation over a shallow foundation, but some of the common reasons are very large design loads, a...
and is connected to the sandy beach about 70 m (229.7 ft) away with a wooden pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
. The L-shaped, one-floor mansion consists of a reception hall, a reading room, bedrooms and bathroom. There are also service and staff rooms at the complex. The total area covered by the mansion including the pier is 602 m² (6,479.9 sq ft).
A grove was created in the yard of the ruined Agios Stefanos Monastery as the garden for the mansion on Atatürk's taking possession. This grove is called "Florya Atatürk Grove" and is today a public park. The mansion is considered an example of the "Turkish Early Republican architecture".
History
During the period he stayed at Dolmabahçe PalaceDolmabahçe Palace
Dolmabahçe Palace located in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey, on the European coastline of the Bosphorus strait, served as the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from 1856 to 1922, apart from a 22-year interval in which Yıldız Palace was used.- History :Dolmabahçe Palace...
, Atatürk came to the mansion by boat and enjoyed swimming surrounded by local people. He used the mansion for the last three years of his life as a summer office as well as for recreation. In 1936, he stayed from June 6 until July 28 at the mansion. His last stay was on May 28, 1938, about six months before his death.
The mansion was also used for important receptions and scientific meetings. Among its famous visitors were Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor and his wife Wallis, Duchess of Windsor.
Following the death of Atatürk, Turkish presidents such as İsmet İnönü
Ismet Inönü
Mustafa İsmet İnönü was a Turkish Army General, Prime Minister and the second President of Turkey. In 1938, the Republican People's Party gave him the title of "Milli Şef" .-Family and early life:...
, Celal Bayar
Celal Bayar
Celâl Bayar was a Turkish politician, statesman and the third President of Turkey. At the time of his death, he was the longest lived former head of state, living over 103 years .-Early years:He was born in 1883 at Umurbey, a village of Gemlik, Bursa as the son of a religious leader and teacher...
, Cemal Gürsel
Cemal Gürsel
Cemal Gürsel , was a Turkish army officer, and the fourth President of Turkey.- Early life :He was born in the city of Erzurum to the Turkish parents as the son of an Ottoman Army officer, Abidin Bey, the grandson of Ibrahim and the great-grandson of Haci Ahmad...
, Cevdet Sunay
Cevdet Sunay
Cevdet Sunay was a Turkish army officer, political leader and the fifth President of Turkey.He was born in 1899 in Çaykara, Trabzon Province, in the Ottoman Empire. After attending elementary school and middle school in Erzurum and Edirne, he graduated from Kuleli Military High School in Istanbul...
, Fahri Korutürk
Fahri Koruturk
Fahri Sabit Korutürk was a Turkish navy officer, diplomat and the sixth President of Turkey.-Biography:He was born in Istanbul, at Soğukçeşme Sokağı, a small street between Topkapı Palace and Hagia Sophia. He attended the navy cadet school in 1916, was graduated in 1923 and from the Naval Academy...
and Kenan Evren
Kenan Evren
Ahmet Kenan Evren was the seventh President of Turkey; a post he assumed by leading the 1980 military coup. He was also the last president to be born in the Ottoman Empire.- Biography :...
used the Florya Mansion as a summer residence.
Museum
Due to the encroaching urban development and the consequent pollution of the sea at the site, the mansion fell into disuse as an official residence. On September 6, 1988, the building was handed over to the National Palaces Department of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. It was then renovated and opened in 1993 to the public as a museum. A section of the mansion is reserved as a social facility for members of parliament.The museum exhibits furniture, tableware, personal belongings including swimwear, as well as a collection of Atatürk's photographs taken at the site.
Location and access
The museum is situated west of Atatürk International AirportAtatürk International Airport
Atatürk International Airport is the major international airport in Istanbul, Turkey. Opened in 1924 and located in Yeşilköy, on the European side of the city, it is west of the city centre. In 1980, the airport was renamed to Atatürk International Airport in honor of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the...
on the coastal road from Florya to Küçükçekmece
Küçükçekmece
Küçükçekmece is a large, crowded suburb on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey 23 km out of the city, beyond Atatürk Airport. The population of the area reaches 600,000. This area covers 118 km².-Location:...
.
It can be reached from Florya train station on the Istanbul-Halkalı commuter line, which is about 500 m (1,640.4 ft) away. Bus line "73T Yenibosna
Yenibosna
Yenibosna is a borough, located on the western part of the Istanbul district of Bahçelievler, bordering with the neighbor district Küçükçekmece. The earliest population record, whilst it was a village, was 350 and saw rapid migration after the founding of Republic of Turkey. The origin of the...
Metro
Istanbul LRT
This article is about the M1 and T4 lines. For the M2 line, see the article M2.The Istanbul LRT , which consists of the M1 and T4 lines, is a light metro system in Istanbul with a total length of 32 km There are 36 stations, including 12 underground and 3 viaduct...
-Florya" of İETT serves the location as well.
The museum is open from 9 am to 4 pm (in winter months from 9 am to 3 pm) local time except Mondays and Thursdays.