Reportedly, the waterfront mansions along the Bosphorus, leaning back on lush green groves, had made Istanbul look like a corner of paradise by creating a riot of colors together with deep blue water of the sea in front of them back in the old days. Nowadays, although the lush green groves behind them are no more, although some of them have lost connection with the sea because of the road running in front of them, the waterfront mansions have still been revealing the historic fabric of Istanbul.

And we have decided to describe some of the most beautiful waterfront mansions of Istanbul for you.

 

WATERFRONT, MANSION, OR MANOR?

In Istanbul Sightseeing Guide, Murat Belge says that the word “Yali” is Greek and means “waterfront”, and adds: “In Turkish, on the other hand, yali refers to the houses (mostly wooden) generally built on the waterfront.”

Actually, in order to be waterfront mansions, the mansions, which are frequently confused with manors, must definitely have connection with water. If we deduct the manors that are now landlocked and even in ruins from 445 waterfront mansions of the Ottoman era, the ones that have survived are rather limited in number.

 

EMINE VALIDE PASHA WATERFRONT MANSION

Emine Valide Pasha Waterfront Mansion was built on Cevdet Pasha Avenue of Bebek on the Rumeli side of Istanbul Strait by Italian architect Raimondo D’Aronco in 1902. Today, this waterfront mansion serves as the Consulate General of Egypt.

It is also known as “Khedive Palace”, “Emine Valide Pasha Coastal Palace”, “Khedive Ismail Pasha Waterfront Mansion”, “Valide Pasha Waterfront Mansion”, “Consulate General of Egypt Coastal Palace”.

Built for the first time in 1781, and then restored for a few times, the waterfront mansion has been bought by Sultan Abdülhamit II and presented to Emine Sultan, mother Khedive Abbas Hilmi Pasha, as a gift.

One of the largest waterfront mansions of the Bosphorus, Emine Valide Pasha Waterfront Mansion has one of the longest shoreline with its 76-meter long quay.     The only woman entitled “Pasha”, Emine Valide Pasha has wanted to donate her waterfront mansion to the State when Turkish Republic was established, but since she was addressed as “Mrs. Emine of Bebek” instead on Valide Pasha in the official correspondence, she has gotten angry and donated the waterfront mansion to the Egyptian Government. She has stipulated that the building is used as consulate building forever. The building restored in 2011 has been put into service again.

 

EGYPTIAN YUSUF ZIYA PASHA WATERFRONT MANSION

One of the famous merchants of the era Egyptian Yusuf Ziya Pasha has wanted that his waterfront mansion to be more majestic that the Khedive Summer Palace in Beykoz because of the show-off competition between him and Khedive Abbas Hilmi Pasha, and had the waterfront mansion as ten-storey together with its seven-storey tower.

Yusuf Ziya Pasha Waterfront Mansion, which is the head office of Borusan Holding now and landlocked as road runs in front of it, is colloquially known as the “Haunted Mansion”.

The waterfront mansion, located on the left hand side of the road from Rumelihisarı to Emirgan and appearing like a monument for its red bricks and spectacular tower, remained empty for a long time after Yusuf Ziya Pasha, who had fallen into financial difficulty during the First World War, moved to Egypt together with his family, and thus the building began to be called the “Haunted Mansion”. As per the will of Yusuf Ziya Pasha who died in Egypt, his grave is built of the stones taken from the tower of the mansion.

 

CHIEF PHYSICIAN SALIH EFFENDI WATERFRONT MANSION

Chief Physician Salih Effendi Waterfront Mansion, which has come up on the agenda again because of the tanker that led to a big accident as its rudder jammed while navigating through the Bosphorus in April 2018, is located between Beykoz Anadoluhisari and Kanlica on the Anatolian side of Istanbul Strait. Of the waterfront mansion built as two separate parts for men and women (i.e. harem) in 1850, only the harem part has survived to the present day.

Salih Effendi who was the chief physician of Sultan Abdülmecit was also a botanist. A rose planted and grafted by Salih Effendi, who was the physician of three sultans, in his own garden is known as “Hekimbaşi Rose”. The surviving harem part of Hekimbaşi Waterfront Mansion, painted in red ochre, is composed of three separate sections positioned side by side. One of these sections has three floors, the other has two floors, and the last one has one floor. In this way, it creates a rather aesthetic image when looking from the sea.

 

CYPRIOT MEHMET PASHA WATERFRONT MANSION

This waterfront mansion located on Göksu Avenue of Kandilli-Üsküdar on the Anatolian side of Istanbul Strait was built in 1780. It is the waterfront mansion that has the broadest facade by Istanbul Strait. The length of its coast is 64 meters.

It is called Cypriot Waterfront Mansion, Cypriot Mehmet Pasha Waterfront Mansion, or Kara Vezir Waterfront Mansion. The first owner of the waterfront mansion is İzzet Mehmet Pasha, one of the grand viziers of Abdülhamit I. When it was bought by Cypriot Mehmet Emin Pasha in 184o, the waterfront mansion began to be called Cypriot Waterfront Mansion.

The ceilings of the sea- and garden-side iwans of the waterfront mansion that has 21 rooms in total (fifteen downstairs rooms and six upstairs rooms) is decorated with wooden reliefs, and the facade of the mansion has been enlivened with cantilevers.

Three big Turkish baths built in the garden of the waterfront mansion at the end of the 18th century could not survive. Only a marble faucet and pool have survived from the garden of the waterfront mansion. This waterfront mansion was a favorite meeting place for authors like Pierre Loti and Yahya Kemal, and hosted famous persons such as Iraq King Faisal and French Princess Eugenie.