Category: Residential / Public
Type: House / Administration
Location: Alemdar, Yerebatan Ave. Fatih
Date: 19th Century
Designer: Unknown
Period: Ottoman Empire
Photos: Kaan Çorbacı
Located on Yerebatan Street adjacent to the Basilica Cistern, the Turşucuzade Mansion serves as a notable example of 19th-century Ottoman residential architecture and is named after the 112th Sheikh ul-Islam, Ahmed Muhtar Efendi. The original structure was a traditional wooden mansion that featured a distinctive masonry section known as the Stone Room, which remains one of its most authentic historical elements. While the building was reconstructed in the 1980s using reinforced concrete with wooden cladding by the Touring and Automobile Association of Turkey, it underwent a comprehensive restoration by IBB Miras in 2021, where it was rebuilt using traditional timber-framed techniques to restore its structural and historical integrity. Today, the mansion functions as the Istanbul Tourism Information Office, blending its rich history as a prominent religious leader’s residence with its modern role as a gateway for visitors exploring the city’s Byzantine and Ottoman heritage.
