Borusan Contemporary / Haunted Mansion
Borusan Contemporary, also known as Perili Köşk; It was established to bring the Istanbul Borusan Contemporary Art Collection to a wider audience and to increase interest in contemporary art in Turkey. With its 'office museum' structure, Borusan Contemporary aims to be a pioneer in its field in our country, both with its physical environment and the visiting experience it offers. Selected examples of the Borusan Contemporary Art Collection, which has been exhibited for a long time in Perili Köşk, are open to visitors on weekends. In the building where the holding operates as an office during the weekdays, in addition to various selections from the collection, personal art collections created by important curators from Turkey and the world are also available on weekends. and group exhibitions.
Another aim of the museum is to contribute to Turkey's culture and art environment by supporting exhibitions with special educational programs and talks for children and adults of all age groups. With its boutique and stylish cafeteria, Borusan Contemporary offers a fully equipped and unique museum experience to art lovers in Turkey. Perili Köşk is one of the leading examples of Istanbul's cultural heritage with its original architecture.
The construction of Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion, one of the most important and historical buildings of Rumelihisarı, started in the 1910s. At that time, Yusuf Ziya Pasha was serving as the Chief Aide to the Egyptian Khedive Abbas Hilmi Pasha. However, due to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 and the entry of the Ottoman Empire into the war, the work could not be completed as the masters who carried out the construction were conscripted into the military. Yusuf Ziya Pasha lived in the mansion with his second wife, Nebiye Hanım, and Nebiye Hanım's 3 daughters from her first wife, until 1926, the date of her death. After the death of the Pasha, the family lived in the mansion until 1993, and their tenants lived on the first floor. The building began to be known as the "Haunted Mansion" in the surrounding area because of the second and third floors that could not be completed and remained empty due to the unfinished construction.
The mansion was sold to contractor Basri Erdoğan in 1993. The survey, restitution, restoration and application projects of the building were carried out by architect Hakan Kıran between 1995 and 2000. The stone and brick cladding of the facade was completed in accordance with the restoration project. The bricks were imported from England and covered in the most accurate way possible in 4 months. According to the application project, 2 thousand 800 cubic meters of concrete and 350 tons of iron were used in the reinforced concrete manufacturing of the building. While the exterior of the mansion was preserved, the interior spaces were arranged to provide a modern and spacious business environment.
The 10-storey building overlooks the Black Sea on one side and the Marmara Sea on the other. Borusan Holding, which has been continuing its activities in Perili Köşk since February 19, 2007, has rented the mansion until the end of 2030.
Source Türkiye Culture Portal History of Istanbul