The Commandant’s Tower

The director of the Museum, Oguz Alpozen, at one point wanted to transform the living museum into his own vision and something historic. He didn’t just want a historical playground, he wanted something that would reflect on the past and its former sate when it was a commandant quarter. During the beginning of the century, the castle was actually used as a prison during times of war and peace.

The Commandant's Tower location

The Commandant's Tower

When the restoration and furnishing of the castle was finally approved, the restoration was sponsored by Telsim and didn’t open again until August 26 of 1999. The tower had actually been destroyed in 1915 when a French warship decided to bombard the castle. It took 84 years to finally come to a conclusion and agreement to refurnish the castle and turn it into a historical landmark. The warship named Dupleix in 1915 was the ship responsible for the naval bombardment that destroyed this section of the castle.

The newest exhibit that would come to be is fascinating for a couple of reasons. There was an Ottoman Turkish man who lived in the tower as a commandant named Lt. Ibrahim Nezihi. All of the personal touches and memorabilia of this exhibit were donated to the museum by his own daughter, named Neriman Ata. She wanted to make it a point to attend to the ceremony on the 77th anniversary of the date where her father was killed in battle.

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During 1922, an offensive was launched by the Turks known as the “Great Offensive”. It was then that Captain Dbrahim Nezihi fell and it’s believed that he fell during the very beginning of the battle. He was recently promoted to Captain and in control of multiple operations but succumbed to battle early. Turkey was fighting for independence at the time and on August 26 of 1922, this is when the attack began. They eventually went on to win this battle and it was labeled the Turkish victory in the War of Independence.