Eleni Karinte and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk are known as the "Balkan Romeo and Juliet," and their unfulfilled love represents one of the most fascinating tourist attractions in Bitola. Historical figures whose love story left an indelible mark in the history of the Balkans.

In 1897, when Atatürk was a young cadet, he met Eleni, the daughter of a prominent merchant from Bitola. The two immediately fell in love, but their love was condemned by society. Despite their sincere affection, Eleni's family did not approve of the relationship and forced her to marry another man.

Atatürk, driven by his political and military career, never returned for Eleni.

Despite the differences and events that separated them, neither of them ever forgot the other.

After a long period, Eleni wrote a letter expressing her eternal love.

"To Kemal Atatürk, somewhere and sometime!

So many years have passed, and I still, every day, wait for news from you. If you ever receive this letter, remember and see the tears on the paper. The years pass, and here, they still talk about you, something is happening. If you read this letter while loving another woman, tear it up and ask her if she believes that some Eleni Karinte from Bitola spent her whole life for a man with whom she was only for one day? And if you love her as I loved you, don’t tell her anything, let her be happy as you are! But if you still remember the girl from the balcony and do not love another, know that I am waiting for you and that I will wait for you my whole life! I know you will return, that you haven’t forgotten me. My father died. It has been a whole year since the day he took me away from you, locked me at home, and didn’t let me out for a whole month. I didn’t cry; I knew all the locks and keys were useless. The man my father 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 father never forgave me, and neither did I forgive him. I am no longer young and beautiful as I was back then... A lifetime in one day!

I will love you forever, and I will always wait for you. Your Eleni Karinte."

The city of Bitola today preserves the memory of this love. For a long time now, the love between Eleni and Atatürk has been in the hearts of many visitors, who experience it as a symbol of eternal love that never fades, even though it could never be fulfilled.

If you want to learn more about this attraction, visit it, and have the opportunity to read Eleni’s letter, send us a request at [email protected].