Balıkesir

Kuva-yı Milliye were an irregular force assembled in 1919 in the wake of Greek troop landings in Smyrna. They were the main resistance until 1920, when they were absorbed into the regular army fighting for Turkish independence. Hostilities ended with the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne. This former mansion house was their headquarters. Later it became Balıkesir town hall, but the council vacated in 1986 and it was converted into a museum. This displays documents, personal items and photos of the fighters, and photos of Kemal Atatürk visiting the city. Archaeological and ethnographic findings from the region are exhibited upstairs.

This was built around 1461 by Zağnos Pasha, grand vizier of Mehmed II, as a religious complex. The hammam survived the earthquake of 1897, while the mosque, tombs and shadirvans (decorative ablutions fountains) were rebuilt. The engravings on the minbar - pulpit - are especially fine; Atatürk himself preached a sermon here in 1923. The tombs of Karesi Bey and his five sons are south side of the mosque. He founded the Karasid dynasty or emirate, which ruled Southern Marmara 1297–1360 until engulfed by the nascent Ottoman Empire.

This was built by Sultan Bayezid I in 1388. A couple of years later he built the similar Yıldırım or Bayezid mosque in Bursa.

The stated opening hours are just a token of good intentions.

Opened in 2021, this is a replica of the house where Atatürk was born in Thessaloniki, and depicts events of the War of Independence.