in public Haunted house called by name, real name Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion The building, which is noticeably different from other buildings on the Bosphorus coast with its red tile covering and castle-like architecture, is today Borusan Holding administration building and weekends Borusan ContemporaryIt serves as the art gallery of.
If you like exploring Istanbul; Must-See Museums in Istanbul I suggest you take a look at my article.
What You Will Find In This Article
History of the Haunted Mansion
The mansion, which attracts the attention of those passing through the Bosphorus with its red tiles, was built in 1910 by the Chief Aide of the Egyptian Khedive Abbas Hilmi Pasha. Yusuf Ziya Pasha It is being built by. For this reason, the real name of the mansion is known as Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion.
The initial plan of the building consisted of 11 floors. The long-lasting construction work was interrupted when the Ottoman Empire entered the war in 1914. The construction stopped completely due to the economic difficulties that arose due to the military service of the construction masters and the sinking of two of Yusuf Ziya Pasha's ships during the war.
While the war was continuing, Yusuf Ziya Pasha returned to Egypt, and the mansion, which looked like an abandoned castle due to unfinished construction, began to be called "Haunted Mansion" among the public. Another rumor is that the mansion brought bad luck to Yusuf Ziya Pasha because it was haunted.
The mansion, which was left to the heirs of Yusuf Ziya Pasha, remained abandoned for years. In 1993, contractor Basri Erdoğan bought the mansion. Between 1995 and 2000, the mansion was rebuilt by architect Hakan Kıran, keeping the exterior design of the building faithful to the original project and the interior being arranged to be more functional.
Why Did Yusuf Ziya Pasha Have the Mansion Built?
So, why did Yusuf Ziya Pasha have this magnificent mansion built?
This is the rumor; Yusuf Ziya Pasha falls in love with a young and beautiful girl. However, the girl does not want Pasha. Pasha has a magnificent mansion designed to convince the girl. The young girl is finally convinced and they get married. However, the girl's beauty, which will make her want to have a mansion built, will be talked about by everyone. Men start wandering in front of the house all the time to see the young girl who moved to the mansion... Pasha, mad with jealousy, imprisons his wife in the tower of the Perili Mansion. Due to imprisonment, jealousy, and the Pasha's economic crisis, the young woman for whom a mansion was built leaves the Pasha. It is also said that Pasha could not bear this pain and returned to Egypt.
The fate of the young woman after moving from the mansion is unknown. However, during the years when the mansion was empty, people living in the area say that they saw the shadow of a woman walking around inside the mansion.
Pasha's obsession also shows in his will; He wants his tombstone to be made from the stones of the tower where he imprisoned his wife, and after his death, the stones of the tower are sent to Egypt by his guardians.
When the reconstruction of the mansion started in 1995, construction workers said that they saw a woman's silhouette in the mirror in the young woman's room. So the mansion did not lose its "Haunted" title in vain...
After Yusuf Ziya Pasha
Contractor Basri Erdoğan did not consent to this magnificent mansion remaining idle, and after reaching out to about forty of Yusuf Ziya Pasha's heirs, he purchased the mansion in 1993 after a long effort. Between 1995 and 2000, the mansion was completely demolished and its exterior was completely rebuilt in accordance with the original. For example, the bricks used on the exterior were brought from England. The interior design of the mansion was made to suit a modern use. During the demolition, it was revealed that the mansion had 6 more floors at the bottom in addition to the 3 floors visible on top. The mansion currently consists of 10 floors including its tower.
Leasing of Perili Köşk to Borusan Holding and Borusan Contemporary
In 2007, Borusan Holding rented the mansion until the end of 2030. Thus, this red mansion becomes the administrative building of Borusan Holding. The table you see in the photo above is the desk of the company's CEO. While the mansion is used as an office during the week, it serves as an art gallery on weekends where Borusan Contemporary Collections are exhibited.
In Perili Köşk, permanent exhibitions are held on the office floors and temporary exhibitions are held on the exhibition floors. On the office floors, more than 600 works of art are exhibited in study rooms, corridors, office walls and meeting rooms. Contemporary art exhibitions prepared by local/foreign curators are held on the 2nd floor, which is reserved specifically for temporary exhibitions.
Where is the Haunted Mansion, How to Get to the Mansion?
Perili Köşk is located on the Bosphorus shore in the Rumelihisar district of Sarıyer district of Istanbul, just a few minutes walking distance from Rumelihisarı. It is very easy to reach by public transportation.
Perili Köşk on Google Maps application click for location.
Transportation to the Haunted Mansion by Private Vehicle
I would not recommend coming to the Haunted Mansion with your private vehicle; There is a lot of traffic on the Bosphorus line and there is a serious parking problem. The building does not have its own parking lot, so you will have to leave your car somewhere on the Bebek-Hisar line. Of course, come if you are ready to make the valets rich...
Transportation to Perili Köşk by Public Transportation
As I said, there are many options to reach Perili Köşk by public transportation.
- All buses going from Taksim, Kabataş, Beşiktaş to İstinye pass through the Rumeli Hisarı stop.
- Ferries using the Bosphorus line stop at the Rumeli Fortress ferry pier, so you can come to the mansion by sea. For those coming from the Anatolian Side, there are motorcycle lovers from Küçüksu to Aşiyan. It is also an option to go to Beşiktaş by motorbike or ferry from Kadıköy or Üsküdar and take the bus from Beşiktaş.
- Those coming from Etiler can use the newly opened Aşiyan funicular line and go down to the coastal road. Thus, they can reach here by rail system from any point on the Boğaziçi University metro line.
Borusan Contemporary Entrance Fees for 2023
Borusan Contemporary entrance fee is paid and Museum Card is not valid since this is not a museum but a private art gallery. You can see the entrance fees for Borusan Contemporary 2023 below;
- Full: 150TL
- Discounted: 50TL
- Group: 100TL
Borusan Contemporary Visiting Days and Hours
While Perili Köşk serves as Borusan Holding's management office on weekdays, it becomes a public art gallery on weekends. For this reason, it is only open to visitors between 10:00 and 19:00 on Saturday and Sunday. Last visitor admission time: 18:00.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Haunted Mansion
You can find answers to frequently asked questions about the Haunted Mansion below.
Perili Köşk was built by Yusuf Ziya Pasha, but its restoration between 1995 and 2000 was carried out by architect Hakan Kıran.
The mansion has been rented by Borusan Holding from 2007 until the end of 2030.
Yes, the mansion entrance is paid.
Full: 150TL
Discounted: 50TL
Group: 100TL
Only Saturday-Sunday 10:00 – 19:00
Last visitor admission time: 18:00
Unfortunately, Museum Card is not valid at the entrance. You have to enter by paying an entrance fee.
While Arriving at the Haunted Mansion…
While we are at Perili Köşk in Rumelihisarı;
- Rumeli FortressYou can visit .
- Breakfast restaurants in Rumeli HisarYou can also have breakfast. In fact, if you want a change; You can take the Küçüksu boat departing from Aşiyan and have your breakfast on the opposite bank.
- Turkey's first literature museum Aşiyan MuseumYou can visit .
- Aşiyan CemeteryYou can also visit . The remains of many of our country's important intellectual, artistic and political figures lie here. İlhan İrem, Atila İlhan, Özdemir Asaf, Abidin Dino, Orhan Veli Kanık, Yahya Kemal Beyatlı, Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar are the first names that come to my mind. Since the cemetery is quite large and very cramped, if there is a grave you want to visit, you can get help from the security at the entrance about the grave locations.
- Coastal walk from Hisar to Bebek You can take a pleasant and scenic walk on the road.
If you would like to reach my current articles about routes from all over the world, Turkey and Istanbul before anyone else, you can subscribe to my e-bulletin or follow my social media accounts linked below;