The Greek Mansion in Trabzon That Became Atatürk’s: The Story of the Kapagiannidis Villa

The upheaval of the Pontic Greek community

The history of the mansion cannot be separated from the catastrophic upheaval experienced by the Greek population of Pontus during the final years of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the Turkish Republic.

During the period surrounding the First World War and the subsequent Turkish nationalist struggle, Pontic Greeks were subjected to killings, deportations, forced labour, persecution and mass displacement.

Historians and Greek institutions describe these events as the Pontic Greek Genocide, while the terminology and interpretation remain contested in Turkey and among historians.

What is clear is that the historic Greek presence in Pontus was dramatically reduced through violence, deportation, persecution and, ultimately, the compulsory population exchange between Greece and Turkey.

From the Kapagiannidis family to Mustafa Kemal

The mansion remained associated with the Kapagiannidis family until the upheavals that followed the First World War.

After the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and the Greek-Turkish population exchange, the property passed into the hands of the Turkish state as part of the broader transfer of properties connected with the exchange.

It was not originally gifted to Mustafa Kemal by the Kapagiannidis family.

Mustafa Kemal visited Trabzon in 1924, 1930 and 1937. According to Turkish historical sources, he was impressed by the mansion during his first visit.

In 1931, the Trabzon provincial administration decided to present the property to him, and the transfer was completed that year.

The mansion subsequently passed to Mustafa Kemal’s sister, Makbule Boysan.

In 1943, the municipality of Trabzon purchased the property and eventually converted it into a museum.

The Kapagiannidis and Kostakis families

The Kapagiannidis family was connected to another prominent Greek family of Trabzon, the Kostakis family.

The Kostakis mansion, also located in Soğuksu, later became the home of the Trabzon Museum.

Local accounts describe the two families as relatives as well as commercial rivals.

Their residences stood relatively close to one another, and stories about their rivalry have survived in local tradition.

One such story concerns the road leading to the two mansions.

The Kapagiannidis family could reportedly have extended an existing road constructed for the neighbouring Kostakis residence. Instead, Kapagiannidis chose to construct a separate route from the west.

Whether this reflected rivalry or simply personal preference, the story offers a glimpse into the world of Trabzon’s wealthy Greek merchant families before the dramatic changes of the early 20th century.

A building that carries two histories

The mansion was restored several times, including in 1955, 1963 and 2005.

An extensive restoration was carried out in 2023 to address deterioration and restore elements of the building’s architectural character.

Today, the property operates as a museum and is one of Trabzon’s most recognisable historic buildings.

Its rooms contain furniture, carpets, porcelain and household objects dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Rooms associated with Mustafa Kemal, including a bedroom, dining room and study, have been arranged to reflect the period when he stayed at the property.

Photographs documenting his visits to Trabzon are also displayed.

Yet beneath its modern identity as the Atatürk Mansion lies another history.

Before it became associated with Mustafa Kemal, it was the home of the Kapagiannidis family, a prosperous Greek family whose wealth was built during the final decades of the Ottoman Empire.

The mansion therefore stands at the intersection of two very different chapters in Trabzon’s history: the prosperity and cultural presence of the city’s historic Greek community, and the profound demographic and political transformation that followed the First World War and the 1923 population exchange.

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