Built during the Republican era: 'Erzurumlu Nafiz Bey Apartment' to become a museum

The apartment, built in the Ulus district of Altındağ by the merchant Erzurumlu Nafiz Kotan—who supported the National Struggle during the War of Independence by donating aircraft and military ammunition he purchased to the Turkish army—holds the distinction of being the city's first building with central heating and an elevator.

The 4-story apartment building, which was completed in 1922 by Architect Arif Hikmet Koyunoğlu on a 200-square-meter plot at the intersection of Işıklar Street and Alataş Street, is currently locked, neglected, and abandoned.

Following a recommendation by the Ankara City Council (AKK), which consists of over 1,800 components, to turn the apartment—located in the area of the Ankara Castle and the museum district—into a "City Memory Museum," the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB) has initiated expropriation efforts.

'WE MUST PRESERVE THIS PLACE AS A CITY MEMORY MUSEUM'

Evaluating the historical significance of the apartment, AKK President Halil İbrahim Yılmaz stated that Ankara is the heart of the Republic with its history, and recalled that the Arslanhane Mosque in the Altındağ district and the Ancient City of Gordion in Polatlı were recently added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Explaining that cultural circles around the world are closely following Ankara and are eager to visit, Yılmaz said, "We must add the Erzurumlu Nafiz Bey Apartment, one of the early works of the Republic, to this city's data. We must preserve this place as a city memory museum.

We desire to create a dialogue, a process, and a memory here where we can see every detail of the entire process from the liberation to the establishment. The owner of this building, Erzurumlu Nafiz Bey, also took his place in the ranks of the Kuvayımilliye (National Forces) alongside the founder of our Republic, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and spent his entire fortune for the War of Independence and the independence of our nation."