Yeniköy, Sarıyer - İstanbul - Turkey
GPS : 41°07'15.0"N 29°04'12.0"E / 41.120833, 29.070000
PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM
Still impressive among the best kept of the empire-style mansions, Sait Halim Pasha Mansion at Yeniköy, also known as the “Mansion of the Lions” stands as a memorial to late Ottoman taste. The first owners of the mansion are believed to be the Düzoğulları Family. The Aristarhis Family who acquired the mansion from the Düzoğulları demolished it to construct a completely new one around 1863. Abdülhalim Paşa bought the mansion, which was considered to be a wreck and not big enough to suit Egyptian aristocratic taste, from the Aristarhis Family and instructed architect Petraki Adamandidis of Çanakkale to rebuild it.
It was bought by Abdülhalim Pasha, father of Sait Halim Pasha, from a member of the Greek Patriarchate, Nikolasos Aristarhis Logothetes of Fener, a neighborhood in the Golden Horn. The mansion was rebuilt according to Egyptian Aristocratic tastes in 1880 by architect Petraki Adamandidis of Çanakkale. After Abdülhalim Pasha’s death in 1890, Sait Halim Pasha, having acquired the shares of his siblings, became the sole owner of the mansion in 1894.
After taking up residence at Yeniköy in the early 1890’s, Sait Halim Pasha made few significant changes in the main building but he added several annexes, modified and refurbished the interior to suit his predilections and Egyptian background. The layout of the interior, originally based on the plans of earlier mansions, was changed to reflect the nineteenth-century trends. The traditional sofa became a grand reception hall. The Selamlik (men’s quarters), the Harem (quarters shared by the ladies of the household) and the study were at the ground floor. Above, a second hall, of slightly more slender proportions, enjoyed direct access to where smaller side-rooms (the Gold, the Japanese, and the Venetian rooms) took place. The original alcoves of the sofa were walled in, creating rooms facing the sea.
Fixtures and furnishings are eclectic, a mélange of East and West where Louis XVI meets Egyptian aristocracy in an Ottoman setting. An Egyptian flavor is most evident in the reception and study rooms. A pure Ottoman contribution to the building appears in the spacious porch leading into men’s quarters, where multiple panels of Kütahya tiles, forming floral sprays of tulip blooms and leaves, decorate the lower wall.
Furnishings were equally eclectic, although particular styles tended to be confined to specific rooms. French influence dominated with Louis XVI suites and corner cabinets, but there were also Japanese prints and a heavy Renaissance-style chest and mantelpiece, influenced by Italian design. Bronze figures cast in Paris, by D. Puch and others, of winged maidens, female nudes, and a young musician reinforced the Ottoman appreciation of, or fashion for, French design. The mansion was mainly decorated by French Orientalist Felix-Auguste Clément, who also decorated Abdülhalim Pasha’s hunting mansion in Choubrah, near Cairo. The famous oil painting displayed in the Selamlik of the Yeniköy mansion “The Hunt Scene” was painted during the same time, reflecting Egyptian aristocracy and Ottoman’s deep interest in hunting (1865).
Sait Halim Pasha’s mansion reflected the architectural meeting of East and West, as well as witnessing the shift in Turkish-European relations and the last decades of Ottoman rule. The mansion itself was not only a witness of the Ottoman History but a very actor. On 2 August 1914, Sait Halim Pasha, Enver Pasha and the foreign minister held secret negotiations with the German envoy Baron Wangenheim in the Yeniköy mansion.
Subsequently, the German-Ottoman alliance treaty was signed in Sait Halim Pasha’s study room, thus leading the Ottoman Empire into World War I as an ally with the Germans. The mansion witnessed historic events and played a key role not only in Ottoman and German history but in the change of world history.
Mansion of the Lions
Still impressive among the best kept of the empire-style mansions, Sait Halim Pasha Mansion at Yeniköy, also known as the “Mansion of the Lions” stands as a memorial to late Ottoman taste.
It was bought by Abdulhalim Pasha, father of Sait Halim Pasha, from a member of the Greek Patriarchate, Nikolasos Aristarhis Logothetes of Fener, a neighborhood in the Golden Horn. The mansion was rebuilt according to Egyptian Aristocratic tastes in 1880 by architect Petraki Adamandidis of Çanakkale. After Abdulhalim Pasha’s death in 1890, Sait Halim Pasha, having acquired the shares of his siblings, became the sole owner of the mansion in 1894.
After taking up residence at Yeniköy in the early 1890’s, Sait Halim Pasha made few significant changes in the main building but he added several annexes, modified and refurbished the interior to suit his predilections and Egyptian background. The layout of the interior, originally based on the plans of earlier mansions, was changed to reflect the nineteenth-century trends. The traditional sofa became a grand reception hall. The Selamlik (men’s quarters), the Harem (quarters shared by the ladies of the household) and the study were at the ground floor. Above, a second hall, of slightly more slender proportions, enjoyed direct access to where smaller side-rooms (the Gold, the Japanese, and the Venetian rooms) took place. The original alcoves of the sofa were walled in, creating rooms facing the sea.
Rooms lined up around the middle sofa constitute the main plan of the chalet, rising on the marble basement as two levels. South part and north parts of the chalet are separated for men and women only. The entrance to the both parts is through the glassed-in sections. In spite of the plain exterior of the chalet the interior walls and ceilings are decorated by Arabic influenced ornaments.
Fixtures and furnishings are eclectic, a mélange of East and West where Louis XVI meets Egyptian aristocracy in an Ottoman setting. An Egyptian flavor is most evident in the reception and study rooms. A pure Ottoman contribution to the building appears in the spacious porch leading into men’s quarters, where multiple panels of Kütahya tiles, forming floral sprays of tulip blooms and leaves, decorate the lower wall.
Furnishings were equally eclectic, although particular styles tended to be confined to specific rooms. French influence dominated with Louis XVI suites and corner cabinets, but there were also Japanese prints and a heavy Renaissance-style chest and mantelpiece, influenced by Italian design. Bronze figures cast in Paris, by D. Puch and others, of winged maidens, female nudes, and a young musician reinforced the Ottoman appreciation of, or fashion for, French design. The mansion was mainly decorated by French Orientalist Felix-Auguste Clément, who also decorated Abdülhalim Pasha’s hunting mansion in Choubrah, near Cairo. The famous oil painting displayed in the Selamlik of the Yeniköy mansion “The Hunt Scene” was painted during the same time, reflecting Egyptian aristocracy and Ottoman’s deep interest in hunting (1865).
The structural and decorative characteristics of the building are typical innovations of its time, with the building set back off the waterfront by a jetty and the façade and windows typically neo-classical (empire-style). The mansion's plan includes a central grand hall-sofa-with an alcove overlooking the seafront with a stairway on the opposite side.
There are two gates leading to the Selamlık (Men’s quarters) and Harem (Ladies' Quarters) from the quay. There are two lion statues in front of the Selamlık gate which is why the mansion is also referred to as the “Mansion of the Lions” by the public. According to Nubar Horanyan of Yeniköy, the female lion was a gift from Italy for Sait Halim Paşa's first promotion and the male lion a gift from Germany for his second promotion.
Towards the northern side of the Harem garden, there was a Bathing House used by the residents for swimming. The enclosed bridge built between the mansion and the estate on the slopes behind was demolished like all other annexes which were expropriated during the widening of the road in 1958. There was also a boathouse in the garden of the men's quarters which does not exist any longer.
One might describe the late period of Bosphorus mansions and pavilions as “empire-baroque” both in terms of their architecture and their decoration. It was a stylistic trend which took hold during the reign of Sultan Abdülmecit (1839-1861), weakening towards the reigns of Abdülaziz and Abdülhamit II, when an eclectic amalgam of western styles started to take over towards the end of the 19th century. The building recessed from the waterfront without bay-windows and the empire style of the façade and windows are all examples of the new style of that era.
The mansion is decorated in typical empire style, with traces of eclecticism alternating and sometimes combined. The Cubic style in the furniture and exaggerated curves in the decoration were rare between 1800 and 1830. Gilded wood disappeared, although mahogany with bronze plaque applique became popular. Walls were divided into panels with raised bands, with occasional pilasters.
Egg and dart and garland friezes decorated the cornice and the ceilings were framed with a band of decoration with a similar circular band in the center. This interior design is seen throughout the mansion, with the single exception of the ground floor reception room which carries the Egyptian-Arabian influence in decoration.
Unforgettable Meetings and Events
Magical Weddings
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Exquisite Meetings
With their tall ceilings, capturing views of the Bosphorus and historic atmosphere, our function rooms are ideal for all business gatherings from board meetings to conferences.
Unforgettable Events
A rare combination of a sensational view, historic architecture and professional service quality, Sait Halim Pasha Mansion hosts the most exquisite events in Istanbul.
The Harem
The stairway, which occupies part of both stories, is totally empire in style, the walls divided up into panels framed with stucco relief bands. The tips of the stucco relief on the panel frames are gilded. The same kind of stucco profile frames the ceiling and surrounds a central medallion, which together with the rest of the ceiling is decorated with motifs in the empire and eclectic styles. We may call this decorative approach “high empire under the influence of Louis XVI”. The columns betray typical empire motifs on the capital and base while the shaft is not fluted. The columns of the stairway and the frame of the mid-stairway mirror are original and well preserved.
The Hunting Hall (Dining Hall)
The second most important room in the mansion is the Hunting Hall, which was named after the decorations on the walls depicting scenes of hunting, a deep interest of Sait Halim Paşa. The room, being the most highly decorated part of the mansion, served as a dining hall The walls are paneled, with pilasters decorated in the empire-style flanking each panel. The ceiling is framed with a highly decorated empire style frieze with a similarly decorative central medallion, divided into twelve segments, each embellished with empire motifs. Decoration throughout the hall is gilded.
Selamlık Hall (Ceremonial Hall)
Another one of the most important halls of the mansion is the Ceremonial Hall. The room faces the entrance to the men's quarters behind the stairway. Although the columns and beams of the room are highly decorated, one can hardly call it the empire style, except for the fine beam profiles of the ceiling and the wide band of panels separating the walls. Arabic inscriptions in the medallions on the friezes framing the ceiling, the general decoration of the ceiling and the doors give the room the air of an Egyptian salon.
Study - Reception - Antechamber
The study room was decorated in empire-eclectic mode, with a central ceiling rectangular panel of the same style with motifs in each corner. A decorated medallion may be seen within the panel. Narrow wooden strips frame the wall panels which are covered with embossed wall paper. The central of the three rooms facing the sea is the Paşa's reception room. The four double doors are lacquered wood inlaid intricately with mother of pearl and ivory. Both the decoration and the contents of the room suggest that an Egyptian theme was intended. The third room, the nearest one to the men's quarters was used as the guests antechamber.
The Grand Hall
The hall has a ceiling which is baroque in spirit. The walls are divided into panels framed with gilded stucco relief with inscriptions on them.
Japanese Hall
Though the room was initially decorated in the Spanish style, the name was later changed due to all the gifts presented by the Japanese Empire.
Golden Hall
The room was named as the Golden Hall because all original furnishings and decorations were made in gold.
Venetian Hall
All decorations and furnishings brought from Venice, the room was referred to as the Venetian Hall.
Hamam (Turkish Bath)
The stained glass at the entrance of the Hamam have been preserved until today. The frames which were burned during the fire were replaced and the glass was then placed according to its original style.
Basement Halls
Hunting Hall : Area 68 m2, U-Shape 25, Round Table 50, Block Table 30, Cocktail 50, Classroom 46, Theatre 60 m
Harem : Area 202 m2, Round Table 144, Cocktail 200
Study Hall : Area 33 m2, U-Shape 8, Round Table 20, Block Table 10, Cocktail 15, Classroom 8, Theatre 12
Reception Hall : Area 60 m2, U-Shape 20, Round Table 50, Block Table 25, Cocktail 50, Classroom 32, Theatre 50
Waiting Hall : Area 35 m2, U-Shape 9, Round Table 20, Block Table 12, Cocktail 15
Selamlık Hall : Area 165 m2, Round Table 120, Cocktail 150
First Floor Halls
Big Hall : Area 125 m2, U Shape 40, Round Table 120, Block Table 45, Cocktail 150, Classroom 90, Theatre 140
Japanese Hall : Area 33 m2, U Shape 5, Round Table 20, Block Table 10, Cocktail 15, Classroom 8, Theatre 12
Golden Hall : Area 60 m2, U Shape 20, Round Table 50, Block Table 25, Cocktail 50, Classroom 32, Theatre 50
Venetian Hall : Area 33 m2, U Shape 5, Round Table 20, Block Table 10, Cocktail 15, Classroom 8, Theatre 12
Outdoor
Front Garden : Area 1380 m2, Round Table 600, Cocktail 900
Back Garden : Area 770 m2, Round Table 200, Cocktail 300
Quay : Area 700 m2, Round 300, Cocktail 450
Services
A'La Carte Restaurant, Meetings & Corporate Events, Special Events, Weddings, Outside Catering.
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Sait Halim Paşa Mansion
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Phone : +90 212 223 0566
Fax : +90 212 223 0667
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