Mustafa Kemal used the Saraydüzü barracks as his base when he came to Amasya in June 1919, and the Amasya Circular was written here. Because of that the building was rebuilt to its original form on the bank of the Yeşilırmak — what stands today is a reconstruction, not the original barracks.
It works as two things at once: a museum displaying objects and documents of the Republican period, and a cultural centre where events are held. It is open through the year.
In the National Struggle hall, twelve wax figures reconstruct the moment of Mustafa Kemal's arrival in Amasya on 12 June 1919 and his reception by the delegation at Kulistepe. On the walls are copies and translations of the original documents of his official appointments by the sultan while he was in İstanbul, and a panel setting out, with documents, what happened over his twelve days in Amasya. Figures also reconstruct the writing of the circular itself.
The museum is run by the provincial culture directorate and the museum directorate, and visitors may take photographs with their own cameras.
Getting there
- Access
- On the bank of the Yeşilırmak north-west of the Künç bridge, within walking distance of the city centre.
When to go
- Climate
- Across Amasya as a whole, monthly mean temperatures run from 2.7 °C in January to 23.9 °C in August; the mean stays between 15 and 25 °C in May, June, July, August and September; rainfall is heaviest in May (55 mm) and lightest in August (10 mm). Long-term means for 1961-2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM).
