Fatma Suat Orhon Museum, Söke Aydin

Located in the center of Söke, this historic house was originally built in 1910 by local Greek craftsmen for Fatma Orhon, daughter of Hacı Halil Paşa. Fatma and Suat Orhon moved into the house after their marriage in 1922, but were forced to leave during the years of the Greek occupation. In the 1930s, an additional rear section was built onto the property.

Their daughter, Güngör Pura, who spent her childhood in this house, donated it to the Municipality of Söke in 1998 with the wish that it be used as the Fatma Suat Orhon Museum and Art House. After minor restorations in 1996 and 1998, the building functioned as a museum and exhibition hall until 2013, when it underwent a comprehensive restoration. Under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, it was transformed into a small ethnography museum and gained the identity of a city museum.

The three-storey building, including a basement, welcomes visitors through an entrance from the courtyard. Half of the tiles on the entrance landing are original, while the remaining ones were faithfully restored.

Ground Floor – Toy Museum

The lower floor serves as a toy museum, featuring hand-crafted toys made by teacher Erkan Atalı, toys donated by Metin and Aynur Sezgin, a large train model created by Yusuf Yunusoğlu, and shadow theatre materials prepared by Karagöz artist Suat Veral.

Ethnographic Collections

Supervised by the Aydın Milet Museum Directorate, the ethnographic collection reflects the cultural and historical heritage of Söke and its surroundings. Many items come from local families. Tools and documents representing the professions of prominent local artisans—such as bicycle repairman Fahrettin Sarızeybek, tinsmith Mustafa Özçakır, shoemaker Hüseyin Korkmazer, tinsmith Emin Sakalar, gunsmith Raşit Nuğay, pharmacist Halil Özşarlak, sign maker Metin Koyunsev, and farrier Halil Pandır—are exhibited with great care.

A display panel on the historic Decauville Railway, a remaining section of its tracks, and a Hungarian-made wheelbarrow are showcased on the staircase landing.

Upper Floor – Family Room & Special Items

One of the rooms upstairs is dedicated to Fatma and Suat Orhon, their daughter Güngör Pura, and her husband Turgut Pura. It contains personal belongings, photographs, and biographical information. Other showcases include three bricks stamped with the Greek inscription “Sokia”, found in the building known as Kanlı Kahve in Kemalpaşa District; three porcelain plates—two in Far Eastern style and one European; and a historic Konica camera.
In the museum garden, an old cinema film projector awaits restoration, while various tools used in olive oil production, millstones, Ottoman gravestones, and Roman-era artifacts are also displayed.