Bitola, the city of consuls, officers, and youthful dreams, hides one of its most romantic and mysterious stories — the legend of the alleged love of the young Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
* The Featured (title) photo is not real and was generated using Artificial Intelligence. To this day, no photo of Eleni Karinte has been found!.
According to an oral tradition passed down for decades among the people of Bitola, Mustafa Kemal, then a young cadet at the Military Academy in Bitola, would walk daily along Širok Sokak — the heart of the city. It was there, on a balcony near the main street, that he noticed Eleni Karinte, a beautiful young woman, quiet and dignified, observing the life of the city from her home.
The legend says that their gazes often met — without words or touch, yet filled with a strong, silent emotion. The balcony became a symbol of an impossible love, born in a time of great historical upheaval, cultural differences, and strict social norms. For the young Kemal, Bitola was not only a military and educational center, but also a city where he experienced his first deep emotions.
Although no official historical documents directly confirm this story, its very lack of verification gives it a special charm. It lives on as part of the city’s collective memory — a blend of history, romance, and legend that continues to attract lovers of stories with soul.
Today, visitors to Bitola stop with curiosity in front of Eleni Karinte’s house, trying to imagine the moment when the young cadet and the girl behind the railing met with a glance — a moment that time has never completely erased.
One of the balconies of Eleni’s house once looked directly toward the Military Academy where Mustafa Kemal studied, creating a symbolic visual connection between the two young people. Today, that view is no longer possible due to a newly constructed building on the right side.
An additional layer of mystery is added by a letter whose origin has not been fully confirmed, but in which, according to its content, Eleni expresses her deep and sincere feelings for Kemal. Whether historical fact or part of folk tradition, the letter remains another quiet testament to a love that forever moves between history and myth.
To Kemal Ataturk, somewhere and sometimes!
There have been so many years, and I still, every day, wait a word from you. If you ever receive this letter, remember me, and see the tears on the paper.
The years pass by.
I have heard so many things about you.
Something is going on!
If you read this letter while you are kissing another woman, tear it apart and ask her if she believes that some Eleni Karinte from Bitola, spent all her life for a man that she was with, only for one day?!
But, if you love her, as much as I love you, don’t tell her anything, and let her be happy as you are!
But, if you still remember the girl from the balcony, and you don’t love anybody else, know that I’m still waiting for you, and that I will be waiting for you, for the rest of my life! I know that you will be back, that you haven’t forgotten me!
My father died!
It’s been a year since the day he snapped me from you, locked me up at home, and didn’t let me out for a month. I haven’t cried because I knew that all the padlocks and prisons can’t change anything. The man that he wanted me to marry, I saw only once, and he asked me if I could love him. And I told him ”No, I love my first love!” And I never saw him again.
My fathers never forgave me, and neither did I!
I’m not young and beautiful, as I used to be…
All life in one day!
Eternally loves you and will always wait for you,
Yours Eleni Karinte.
It is precisely such stories that make Bitola not only a city of history, but also a city of silent loves and eternal legends.
Memorial room of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk – Bitola Museum