Ismet Inönü Museum

Ismet Inönü is undoubtedly a very special name in the struggle for liberation. In particular, it plays a very active role in the process of the independence of Izmir. The house where Ismet Inönü was born and lived for many years is located in the Konak district of Izmir. Housed in a historic neighborhood, it is today considered a museum. Konak Municipality is the pioneer in the construction of the area, also known as Ismet Inönü Memorial House and Museum. His father, Reşit Bey, who is from Malatya, moved to Izmir from Çatalca after the birth of their first child. Ismet Inönü was born in this house rented by his uncle in 1884. The place, now known as the Turkyılmaz quarter, was known as “the slope of Mecca” at the time. He comes back here every holiday while his military studies continue. The house is a rather modest structure with a location directly overlooking the sea. Ismet Inönü refers to this house as “the most wonderful mansion in the world on my behalf”. Behçet Uz, who was the mayor of Izmir at the time when Ismet Inönü was president, buys this house. The municipality wants to dispose of the house after the 1950s. On top of that, Sherif Remzi Reyent, a family friend of Ismet Inönü, buys the house from the municipality. After a while, he presents Ayla Ökmen as a gift. Ayla Ökmen donates this special house which bears witness to Ismet Inönü's childhood and youth years to the Inönü Foundation. In total, the 112-square-foot house opens to visitors after a protracted restoration. After the restoration, Inönü Foundation and Konak Municipality make a joint use agreement for the house which was opened in 1999 in 2013. The final repair to the structure took place in 2018, and a library section was added in the process. Apart from weekends, it is possible to visit Ismet Inönü Memory House and Museum between 09.00 and 17.30 every day.