Abdülmecid Efendi Mansion: ”Elegance From The Past To The Future”

Istanbul is a city where you can discover a new museum or exhibition that will fascinate you more every day. Abdülmecid Efendi Mansion, which has hosted many exhibitions so far, has now opened its doors to you with the exhibition “Maziden Atiye Zarafet” meaning “Elegance From The Past To The Future”.

It was built in 1880 by the Egyptian Khedive Ismail Pasha. It is not known exactly who the architect was. The mansion was used as a summer residence by Prince Abdülmecid Efendi. He also painted here every Wednesday. Abdülmecid Efendi gathered local and foreign artists and literary figures in the mansion and made it an important cultural center. The mansion was restored in 1988 and is now managed by the Koç family.

While walking on Kuşbakışı Street, you will come across the magnificent and tile-decorated high door that is the entrance to the mansion. You may notice an Ottoman text on the door. It says “There is no victor except God”. This gives us information about the love of God in the Turks. Take your first step into the garden of the mansion and start your journey through history. The stones you have stepped on the ground are very valuable pieces from different regions of Anatolia and dating back to the 17th century. When you raise your head, you will be fascinated by the nobility of Abdülmecid Efendi Mansion. Many fine handcrafts have been applied on this facet of the building, which is divided into quadrants with slats. The banister on the balcony and the chandelier swinging with the wind are worth seeing. Also, the gold leaf gutters on the roof are quite interesting. You can pass through the x-ray and enter another part of the garden without paying any fee. Here, a glass window balcony supported by thin, elegant and white columns awaits us. The colorful glasses used in the window make the environment spacious. If you want, you can rest under the centuries-old plane trees in the garden.

Now it’s time to go inside. Open the curtain and enter the first room. After being greeted by the staff, you will be greeted by wonderful lighting. The 6 dresses in front of you are from women’s fashion from the last periods of the Ottoman Empire. You can read the information and review the details. You can watch a short video about the founding of the Republic on the screen on the left side of the hall. Then, you can see some religious clothes from the Seljuk and Ottoman periods in the second hall. Be sure to also look at the stylish umbrellas on the wall. In the third hall, you can find some bags, shoes and accessories from the first years of the republic. It is impossible not to be touched by the Turkish flag and Ataturk portrait you will see as you go up the stairs. On the upper floor, you can visit four different rooms with similar pieces, accompanied by pleasant music. Clothes and items belonging to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk are exhibited in one of these rooms. Moreover, you can also examine pieces belonging to Latife Hanım and many other valuable Turkish women here.