Zeki Pasha Mansion

Located in the Rumelihisarı district, right next to the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, the Zeki Pasha Mansion attracts the attention of everyone passing through the Bosphorus with its magnificent structure and castle-like exterior. Resembling a small fortress thanks to its imposing stone body and wide-roofed silhouette, this historical mansion offers an impressive view along with the panoramic Bosphorus scenery surrounding it. Looking from the waters of the Bosphorus, the mansion's spacious garden stretching beyond its high walls and its pier extending into the sea are also visible; the historical atmosphere surrounding the entire structure allows visitors to feel both the traces of the past and the natural beauty of Istanbul at the same time. The Zeki Pasha Mansion, both for its strategic location and its architectural splendor, is one of the iconic buildings that are always noticed during a Bosphorus tour.

History of the Zeki Pasha Mansion

The Zeki Pasha Mansion was built during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II. The mansion was built in the early 20th century during the reign of Abdülhamid by Tophane Marshal Zeki Pasha, commissioned from the renowned architect Alexandre Vallaury. Zeki Pasha, a prominent commander of the time, had the mansion constructed as a summer residence for his family, particularly during the summer months. However, after the declaration of the Second Constitutional Era in 1908, Zeki Pasha fell out of favor, was removed from his post, and passed away in 1914 without being able to reside in the mansion for long.

Following the Pasha's death, this magnificent mansion, considered one of the "pearls" of the Bosphorus, passed from family hands and changed hands over time. Ömer Faruk Efendi, son-in-law of the last Ottoman Sultan, Mehmed VI Vahdettin, became the first owner of the mansion; he purchased it from Zeki Pasha's family and resided there for a time with his wife Sabiha Sultan and their children. In 1924, with the exile of Ottoman royal family members abroad, Sabiha Sultan was forced to leave Istanbul, and the mansion changed hands again during the Republican era. Purchased in the 1930s by the Baştımar family, a prominent family in Istanbul, the Zeki Pasha Mansion was used as a private residence for many years. Having largely preserved its historical character, the building was put up for sale in October 2019, advertised as "one of Turkey's most expensive residences." Still privately owned today, the mansion is under state protection due to its cultural heritage value.

Architecture of Zeki Pasha Mansion

Zeki Pasha Mansion, where Ottoman and Western aesthetics meet, immediately stands out from other mansions on the Bosphorus with its design by Alexandre Vallaury. Blending the Ottoman mansion tradition with the European Baroque style, the building is remarkable for its castle-like monumental architecture and fine details. Its facades feature Baroque-influenced decorations, column-motif window openings, and decorative bands that continue between the floors. Another feature of the mansion is that, unlike most traditional Bosphorus mansions, it is built entirely of masonry (stone); the use of cut stone instead of wood has made the structure more resistant to risks such as fire and earthquakes, giving it the solidity of a small "coastal palace". Furthermore, thanks to the rocky ground on which it was built and its strong foundation, it has remained standing as one of the tallest structures on the Bosphorus for 130 years.

Main architectural details and features:

• The mansion is a structure consisting of a total of 5 floors and contains 23 rooms, 5 lounges and 8 bathrooms.
• Each floor has 6 rooms, 5 of which have a direct view of the Bosphorus.
• It has a large garden of approximately 4,000 m² and a private pier 130 meters long.
• The building can be accessed both from land (from its garden) and from the sea (from its own pier).

All these features elevate the Zeki Pasha Mansion beyond the classic Ottoman mansions, making it one of the most magnificent examples of civil architecture on the Bosphorus coast. The historic mansion, with its unique location and architectural splendor, is an indispensable part of the Bosphorus skyline.

Exploring Zeki Pasha Mansion by Yacht

Located on the shores of Rumeli Hisarı, at the point where the Bosphorus narrows and the current quickens, the Zeki Pasha Mansion conveys the seriousness of its location at first glance, exhibiting an unpretentious yet powerful presence. Standing alongside the austere silhouette of the fortress, the building doesn't retreat despite this dominant proximity; on the contrary, it silently asserts its own existence with the weight it derives from its position. This effect, often unnoticed from land, becomes much more pronounced when viewed from the sea, and the mansion clearly makes its place in one of the most strategic points of the Bosphorus felt. As the yacht moves parallel to the shore, the narrowing line of the water makes the building's facade proportions and location choice more meaningful. At this point, the architecture doesn't compete with its surroundings; it is read in conjunction with them. The Zeki Pasha Mansion is one of those buildings that speaks for itself not when looked at, but when observed from a distance. Even a few minutes spent here reminds you why the Bosphorus should be explored from the sea. Seeing the Zeki Pasha Mansion with this sense of weight becomes an even more striking experience when you charter a yacht and sail along this narrow line in the Bosphorus. Those wishing to plan a route passing in front of Zeki Pasha Mansion can easily view the yachts in our fleet online according to duration and number of people, and track how the total budget is shaped by adding menu and extra service preferences via yatkiralama.net/en.