The Esma Sultana Mansion , a historical yalı

Yali (residence)

A yalı , literally "seashore, beach") is a house or mansion constructed at immediate waterside in Istanbul and usually built with an architectural concept that takes into account the characteristics of the coastal location...

 (waterside mansion) located at Bosporus

Bosporus

The Bosphorus or Bosporus , also known as the Istanbul Strait , is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with the Dardanelles...

 in Ortaköy

Ortaköy

Ortaköy is a neighbourhood, formerly a small village, within the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey, located in the middle of the European bank of the Bosphorus....

 neighborhood of Istanbul

Istanbul

Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...

, Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

 and named after its original owner Esma Sultana

Esma Sultana (1873-1899)

This article is about the Ottoman princess Esma Sultana, the daughter of Sultan Abdülaziz. For other uses, see Esma Sultana ....

, is used today as a cultural center after being redeveloped.

History

The three-storey brick building was designed by the renowned architect Sarkis Balyan and finished in 1875 next to Ortaköy Mosque

Ortaköy Mosque

Ortaköy Mosque , officially the Büyük Mecidiye Camii of Sultan Abdülmecid) in Beşiktaş, Istanbul, Turkey, is situated at the waterside of the Ortaköy pier square, one of the most popular locations on the Bosphorus....

. It was presented to Esma Sultana (1873-1899), the daughter of Ottoman

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 Sultan Abdülaziz

Abdülâziz

Abdülaziz I or Abd Al-Aziz, His Imperial Majesty was the 32nd Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and reigned between 25 June 1861 and 30 May 1876...

, as a wedding gift.

The mansion remained in the possession of the Ottoman dynasty until 1915. The building was used first as a tobacco warehouse and then as a coal depot from 1920 until 1975, when it was destroyed by a fire.

Redevelopment

The ruin, consisting only of the outer walls of the building, was purchased in the early 1990s by The Marmara hotel chain. Following a renovation with additions designed by architect Gökhan Avcıoğlu, the mansion was opened in 2001 as a multipurpose event venue. Within the brick exterior, which was left as the original, a steel and glass structure is incorporated. The building includes a bar, a restaurant, and an event hall at several levels. The building is situated in a garden of 2226 abbr=on. The ground floor is abbr=on 31.5 wide, abbr=on 27 long and abbr=on 3.80 high. The first floor is merged with the second floor, having dimensions of abbr=on 31.5 wide, abbr=on 31 long and abbr=on 6.80 high.

Esma Sultana Mansion, run by The Marmara Hotel chain as a venue for various meetings and conferences, offers banqueting space in a historical atmosphere for up to 1,000 guests in the garden, 180 guests in the ground floor and 330 guests in the first floor. Space for reception is available for up to 3,000 guests in the garden, 300 guests in the ground floor and 600 guests in the first floor. The venue also hosts concerts of the Istanbul International Jazz Festival

Istanbul International Jazz Festival

The Istanbul International Jazz Festival, formerly Istanbul Festival, is a cultural event held every July in Istanbul, Turkey. It offers a selection of jazz music performances with the participations of famous artists from all over the world. The festival was first held in 1986 and is organized by...

 and the Istanbul International Music Festival

Istanbul International Music Festival

The Istanbul International Music Festival, formerly Istanbul Festival, is a cultural event held every June and July in Istanbul, Turkey. It offers a selection of European classical music, ballet, opera and traditional music performances with the participations of famous artists from all over the...

.