Located on the shores of the Bosphorus in Istanbul, the Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion (popularly known as the Haunted Mansion) is a historical building that attracts attention with its unique architecture and legendary story.
The red brick facade and turreted structure of the Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion immediately catch the eye in the silhouette of the Bosphorus coast. Rising on the European side of the Istanbul Bosphorus, between Rumelihisarı and Emirgan, the Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion is immediately noticeable from the outside with its tower resembling a castle and its unusual architecture. Located right next to the European end of the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (2nd Bosphorus Bridge), the mansion attracts the attention of those passing through the Bosphorus thanks to its appearance, which is different from the surrounding mansions and villas. Even the name of the building, known as the "Haunted Mansion" among the people, creates a mysterious first impression on the visitor.
History of the Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion
The Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion was started to be built in the 1910s by the Ottoman statesman Yusuf Ziya Pasha as a family residence on the Bosphorus coast. It was commissioned by the Khedive (governor) of Egypt at the time, II. Yusuf Ziya Pasha, who served as the chief aide-de-camp to Abbas Hilmi Pasha, commissioned the construction of this magnificent mansion, designing a truly splendid structure. However, when World War I broke out in 1914, the builders were called to the front, and the construction of the mansion remained unfinished for a long time. Because the upper floors remained empty for years due to the unfinished construction, the building became known in the area as the "Haunted Mansion" (perili: haunted, meaning "fairy/spirited"). Over time, legends circulated around the mansion, claiming that Yusuf Ziya Pasha had it built for his young wife and that haunted events occurred there; however, these remained mere folk tales.
The mansion, which remained abandoned for many years, was purchased by contractor Basri Erdoğan in 1993. Between 1995 and 2000, the building was completed with an authentic restoration project by architect Hakan Kıran. Thus, after almost a century, the Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion acquired its new appearance. Since February 19, 2007, the mansion has been used as the headquarters of Borusan Holding, and with the opening of the Borusan Contemporary contemporary art museum in 2011, it also gained the function of a museum open to the public on weekends. Today, the mansion continues to preserve its historical character by serving as Borusan Holding offices during the week and exhibition halls for art lovers on weekends.
Architecture of Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion
The Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion has architectural features that are quite different from its counterparts on the Bosphorus. The building's red brick and cut stone exterior and the tower at its corner give it a "castle-like" silhouette. Large windows and openings overlooking the Bosphorus provide ample natural light to the interiors and offer magnificent views. The mansion has a total of 9 floors and a usable area of approximately 5,000 m²; this represents an extraordinarily large scale for the period in which it was built.
The restoration carried out in the late 1990s meticulously preserved the building's original exterior appearance, while reorganizing its interiors with a contemporary infrastructure suitable for office and museum use. In particular, special bricks imported from England were used in the exterior cladding to remain faithful to the original. In its current appearance, the lower floors of the mansion feature gray-toned stone cladding, while the upper floors feature red bricks; This distinction in color and material has given the structure a unique character. Thanks to all these architectural features, the Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion is considered one of the most distinctive examples of civil architecture on the Bosphorus coast.
Exploring Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion by Yacht
Located right on the edge of Rumeli Hisarı, in the shadow of its solid stone mass, the Yusuf Ziya Paşa Mansion stands quietly alongside the Bosphorus coastline, a structure that initially seems withdrawn but whose impact grows as one observes it. Despite the dominant presence of the fortress, the mansion avoids a weakness by remaining in the background, instead making a conscious choice that strengthens its context. This stance, often unnoticed from land, becomes much more meaningful when viewed from the sea, and the structure is read through its relationship with its surroundings. As the yacht moves parallel to the shore, the mansion demonstrates how architecture can exist by retreating in this narrowing section of the Bosphorus. Here, the focus is not on a single structure, but on the relationship between the structure and its environment. This relationship offers a powerful clue to understanding the historical layers of the Bosphorus. The Yusuf Ziya Paşa Mansion is not something to be quickly passed by, but rather something to be noticed by slowing down. This awareness is felt much more clearly when you charter a yacht and sail past the fortress on the Bosphorus. Those wishing to plan a route around the Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion can evaluate the yacht options in our fleet online according to their duration and number of people plans, and can transparently review how the budget is structured by adding menu and extra service preferences via yatkiralama.net/en.