EXHIBITIONS
Abud Effendi Mansion*
A view of the building from the street**
A hundred meters west of Hagia Sophia, the Abud Effendi Mansion is located in what was called Khalkoprateria, which translates to ‘the place where copper and bronze is processed’, a neighborhood of coppersmiths. Today, located in the Eminönü District on Alemdar Street, the mansion is named after its initial owner Ahmet Abud Effendi.
A merchant of Syrian origins Ahmet Abud Effendi was the brother of Mehmet Abud Effendi, who was the head of the Chamber of Commerce during the reign of Abdulhamid II. Covering an area of 3.243 m2 including its garden, the building is one of the fine examples of civilian architecture and is a protected cultural heritage site.
After having been used by the Abud Effendi family, the late 19th century mansion was sold to an American by Ferit Bey, the eldest son of Ahmet Abud Effendi. In 1925, it was used as the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) building, and in 1927, as the Alemdar Movie Theater, which is one of the oldest and most important movie theaters of the city. In 1934, a gym was built in the back garden, which is still in use. In 1939, after the YMCA stopped using the mansion, it turned into the American Boys Language and Commerce School. In 1969, it was passed onto the 15 Yücel Cultural Foundation.
The main building consists of the ground floor and three upper floors, along with an attic and a joint Turkish bath. It has twelve rooms and five large living rooms. Despite the largely demolished facade, the structure preserves its overall uniqueness.
The plans demonstrate that the rooms and the stairs are on two opposite sides of the building and the anteroom is in the middle. The harem (the portion of the mansion reserved for women) and the selamlık (the portion of the mansion reserved for men) are clearly separated. Located in the marble hall at the entrance is a magnificent fountain made of colored marble, which is in exceptionally well-preserved condition.
The ceilings of the living rooms have been ornamented with hand-drawn landscapes and various patterns. On the third floor, there are twelve landscape imageries on the ceiling garnished with baroque ornaments and adorned edging. These landscapes demonstrate the sceneries of the period, showing bridges and castles. Four landscapes in the living rooms facing the street portray Istanbul sceneries such as the Maiden Tower, Sarayburnu, Rumeli Fortress and Eminönü.
*The building was an important part of the way we developed the exhibitions and soon enough became its own character within the narrative of the project.
** Images on this page by BAHAR team.