Rakoczi Museum House

Rakoczi Museum House

The Rákoczi House in Tekirdağ, Turkey, is a historical 18th-century residence linked to the life of Ferenc II Rákóczi, a Hungarian national hero. Ferenc was a wealthy landlord and the Prince of Transylvania who led the first uprising against Austrian repression from 1703 to 1711. After his failed attempt, he went into exile and spent some time in Poland, Britain, and France. Eventually, he seized an opportunity to reside in Gallipoli under Sultan Ahmed III's patronage, where he lived for three years before moving to Edirne and Istanbul. Ferenc finally settled in Tekirdağ, where he passed away in 1735.

The building is a traditional Ottoman-style wooden house that features ten rooms spread across three levels. It sits atop a small hill, overlooking the Sea of Marmara. The house was originally situated closer to the sea before the construction of the coastal highway in 1960. In 1982, the house was donated to the Hungarian State and transformed into a national museum, which has since drawn many visitors from Hungary and beyond.

Rakoczi Museum House

Inside the Rákóczi House in Tekirdağ, visitors can find a bronze bust of Ferenc II Rákóczi on the ground floor, as well as a bust of his chamberlain, Kelemen Mikes, in the basement. The walls are adorned with oil paintings, including portraits of his mother, Ilona Zrínyi, stepfather, Imre Thököly, and aides. A room displays a banner featuring his family coat-of-arms, while another contains an oriental-style toilet. The kitchen and pantry shelves, along with a well, are also found on the ground floor.

Upstairs, visitors can see the most impressive room of the house, which serves as the reception area. The space was modeled after a similar room that Rákóczi saw during his stay in Edirne and was constructed to his liking. The ceiling of the room features floral and fruit-shaped adornments on metal stretches that run across wooden beams. The windows are made of stained glass, creating a beautiful play of light and color.

The walls in the reception area display Hungarian folk motifs, and the floor features a wooden chair that was crafted by Rákóczi himself. Additionally, on this floor, visitors can view the office of Kelemen Mikes, where he wrote his famous "Letters from Turkey" addressed to his fictional aunt.