Houses

Zeyrek Avenue No.27 (former door number)

Located directly opposite the Şeyh Süleyman Mosque, the three-story timber residence was built no later than the first quarter of the 20th century. Research conducted between 1977 and 1981 determined that both the owner and tenants were living in the building, and that the listed structure was in poor condition at the time. The building has not survived to the present day.

The fact that homeowners occupied their own houses was not sufficient for the preservation of buildings in Zeyrek. Elderly residents—mostly elderly women—often lived alone and lacked the financial means to contribute to the upkeep of their homes; moreover, they no longer had the interest. All they could do was hope that as long as they lived, their houses would also stand. House number 27 was one such example.

Gülbahçe Street No.20

The four-story residence, with a brick ground floor and timber upper floors, was built no later than the first quarter of the 20th century. In the early 1980s, the building—then located at Güllübahçe Street No. 14—was relatively well preserved and housed 12 tenant families totaling 65 people.

An eight-person family had settled into four rooms on the second floor. One room served as the master bedroom for the eldest son and his wife, and another was also used as a bedroom. In the third and smallest room, four children slept; during the day, this same room functioned as the family’s living room. The largest room, the guest room, was used only when receiving visitors or for having photographs taken. When asked, “Is the small room you use as a living room sufficient for you?”, the whole family answered in unison: “Yes.”

Bıçakçı Çeşmesi Street No.22 (former door number)

The two-story timber residence was built no later than the first quarter of the 20th century. Research conducted between 1977 and 1981 determined that both the owner and tenants were residing in the building, and that the listed structure was in poor condition at that time. Located on Bıçakçı Çeşmesi Street—one of the most transformed streets in Zeyrek—the parcel where this house stood is now vacant.

Tirendaz Street No.9 (former door number)

The two-story timber house with a bay window, set atop a tall masonry basement of handmade brick, was built in the late 19th to early 20th century. According to old photographs and measured drawings, the building had an elevated entrance reached by a marble staircase. The basement facade was plastered, while the upper floors were clad in wood. Reflecting the architectural features of the typical traditional timber residential fabric, the house remained in use until the 1990s; it has not survived to the present day.

Onaltı Mart Şehitleri Avenue No.11

The four-story timber house with bay windows and a cihannüma, set on a masonry substructure, was built in the late 19th to early 20th century. Located adjacent to the Valens Aqueduct, the building in the 1990s still retained all its original wooden details—such as the wooden entrance door, windows, and under-sill ornaments—while its south side facade was clad with sheet metal. Having fallen into ruin and been rebuilt after 2008, the structure is now used as a workplace.

Yoğurtçuoğlu Street No.19 (former door number)

The three-story timber house with a bay window, set on a masonry basement, was built in the late 19th to early 20th century. Constructed in a row-house layout, it was separated from its neighbor by a handmade-brick fire wall. Its original wooden details—such as the wide eaves, projecting moldings, entrance door with a tall transom window, and double-hung sash windows in a paired arrangement—had been preserved. Repaired and maintained by the IMM KUDEB in the late 2000s, the building was demolished in 2023 and has not survived to the present day.

Kayserili Ahmet Pasha Street No.7

The three-story timber house with a bay window, located opposite the Kayserili Ahmet Pasha Mansion, was built in the late 19th to early 20th century. Constructed with a timber frame on a masonry substructure, the building was used as a shop and residence in the 1970s. Having fallen into derelict and ruinous condition in the 2000s, it was restored by the IMM KUDEB between 2008 and 2011. It continues to serve as the service building of the Directorate for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage.

Kayserili Ahmet Pasha Mansion

Commissioned in the late 19th century by Kayserili Ahmet Pasha, the Minister of the Navy under Sultan Abdülaziz, the wooden mansion is the only monumental residential structure within the Süleymaniye World Heritage Site. Comprising harem and selamlık sections, it is distinguished by its architectural features, wooden details, cihannüma, garden layout, eclectic style, and unique painted decorations in brushwork and oil paint. Restored in 1987, the mansion was used by the Monuments Board, and in 2006 it was allocated to the IMM KUDEB Directorate. While under KUDEB, maintenance and repairs were carried out, and the ceiling and wall decorations were documented, cleaned, and conserved. Transferred to the General Directorate of Foundations in 2022, the building has remained without function since that date. Notably, the decision declaring the Historic Peninsula a “urban and historic conservation area” was taken in this mansion on July 12, 1995.

Kayserili Ahmet Pasha Street No.2-4

Located on the corner of Kayserili Ahmet Pasha Street and Kirazlı Mescit Street, the three-story timber building on a masonry basement was constructed in the late 19th to early 20th century. With its original wooden architectural details, façade composition, and ceiling decorations, it is one of the neighborhood’s characteristic structures. The upper floors were used as a residence until the 1990s, while the ground-floor shops continued operating until recently. Derelict since the 2000s, the building has now been restored.

İbadethane Street No.15

The three-story house with a stone ground floor and timber upper floors was built in the first half of the 20th century. Research conducted between 1977 and 1981 determined that the house was listed.

In the late 1970s, a family from Çankırı who had been tenants there for exactly 12 years was living in the house. The owners were residing in another dwelling in Zeyrek. Largely maintained by the tenant family, the wooden house was in quite good condition. The father worked at TEKEL, a five-minute walk away. His salary was not very high, but he had a steady job, regular income, and insurance. Because the house’s proximity to his workplace in Zeyrek and its low rent provided the basic prerequisites for the family’s livelihood, their interest in the preservation and upkeep of the house was correspondingly high. Today, however, the building is in ruins.

İbadethane Street No.32 (former door number)

The three-story house, with a brick ground floor and timber upper floors, was built no later than the first quarter of the 20th century. Research conducted between 1977 and 1981 determined that the house was occupied by tenants. There is a cistern at the rear.

Today, only parts of the brick facade walls at ground level remain standing. By the late 1970s, the entrance floor was uninhabitable. The mezzanine had been rented to several seasonal workers, and even the permanent residents of the house did not know their exact number. The large hall on the upper floor was used communally as a kitchen, study, and living room. The back wall of this room was partially damaged and roughly covered with plastic sheeting. None of the floor slabs or staircases on this level were sturdy enough to walk on safely. Two families—of three and six people—lived in two rooms on this floor.

The six-person family from Siirt moved into the house in the summer of 1979, paying 1,250 TL in rent, after the previous tenants relocated to an apartment on Karadeniz Avenue near Zeyrek. Because the residents could not agree on payments, there was no water in the house, and likely no electricity either.

Haydar Street No.24 (former door number)

The three-story timber residence was built in the first quarter of the 20th century. Research conducted between 1977 and 1981 determined that, although listed, the building was in poor condition at that time. Today, the structure has almost completely disappeared. At the rear, there is a dilapidated bathhouse belonging to the wooden residence.

Haydar Street No.37 (former door number)

The three-story residence, with a masonry ground floor and timber upper floors, was built in the first half of the 20th century. Research conducted between 1977 and 1981 determined that both the owner and tenants were residing in the building, and that the listed structure required repairs at the time. Today, only parts of the exterior walls of the masonry ground floor remain.

Streets

Zeyrek, an impressive example of Istanbul’s traditional urban fabric, stands out not only for its wooden houses but also for its organic street network. Alongside its many dead-end lanes, its sloped roads adapt to the area’s hilly topography. The traditional street paving—formed by the irregular arrangement of black and reddish stones—has almost entirely disappeared; however, a small portion still partially survives at one point along İtfaiye Avenue.

Streets are part of a life that spills out from the houses and are shaped not only by architecture but also by the social fabric. Architectural and urban form and social conditions mutually influence one another.

The houses in Zeyrek were designed to meet the needs of a social class with relatively high economic means in 19th-century Istanbul. From the 20th century onward, the neighborhood has been inhabited by a population that reshaped it according to its own needs.

Social research conducted in 1978 revealed a very high rate of migration to Zeyrek. The primary reasons internal migrants preferred Zeyrek were the relatively low rents and its proximity to numerous workplaces in the city center. At that time, only 12.8% of Zeyrek’s population had been born in Istanbul. The remainder were of rural origin, having migrated from the Eastern Anatolia Region—particularly Siirt—or from the Black Sea Region. In terms of social class, the population by the late 1970s can be considered fairly homogeneous; however, tendencies toward social division were observed due to ethnic, religious, and economic factors.

With its houses and streets, Zeyrek is not only a past worth preserving but also a witness—through its present-day residents—to the transformations Istanbul has undergone. This quality of Zeyrek is among the key reasons it has become a focus of research for social scientists, architects, and urban planners.

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Süleymaniye’s organically formed street network, adapted to its sloped topography, and its tight parcel pattern are key elements shaping the urban fabric and skyline. Housing extends from around main axes such as Kirazlı Mescit Street and Onaltı Mart Şehitleri Avenue, descending northward along steep, narrow streets. Detached houses and mansions with gardens—typically set back from the street behind blank garden walls—as well as row houses whose ground floors serve as shops, are composed at varying heights in response to the terrain. Most houses are 2–3 stories, timber structures with bay windows and hipped roofs, set on masonry foundations or ground floors. Roof pitches are arranged so as not to block neighboring views. Some residences feature a cihannüma, an upper lookout room opening to the panorama.

Prof. Doğan Kuban (2005) describes the traditional residential fabric as follows:

1. The buildings are houses, not apartments.
2. The vast majority of houses have gardens, with large trees.
3. The buildings are not of equal height.
4. In the street fabric, the blank garden wall is an important physiognomic element.
5. The street has no sidewalks; it is for the walking person.

Documentation shows that the neighborhood’s traditional residential fabric and community life were being preserved in the 1970s. From the 1980s onward, as residents moved to other parts of Istanbul, Süleymaniye largely began receiving migrants from Anatolia. The arrival of a working, predominantly single population in place of families—along with increased commerce and shifts in the social structure—also led to changes in the architectural and physical environment. Süleymaniye’s social and demographic transformation reflects the broader processes of change in its immediate surroundings and in the city as a whole.

Identity and Documentation

In 1968, a research group affiliated with the Faculty of Architecture at Istanbul Technical University (ITU), led by Prof. Nezih Eldem, carried out the first survey studies. Based on this work, the İstanbul Master Development Plan was drawn up in 1975, and all existing wooden structures at the time were placed on a monuments preservation list. However, by the early 1980s, at least fifteen of these buildings had either disappeared or deteriorated beyond repair.

During the 1970s, awareness of historic preservation grew across Europe. Zeyrek, one of Istanbul’s traditional neighborhoods, became a focal point in this context due to the preservation of both its houses and street network. These characteristics offered an opportunity for a comprehensive documentation project initiated by Wolfgang Müller-Wiener, then director of the DAI Istanbul Department. Between 1977 and 1981, Müller-Wiener launched a project aimed at documenting the architecture of the Molla Zeyrek Mosque and its surrounding area. The project consisted of four campaigns and was financially supported by the Volkswagenwerk Foundation. Participants included the DAI Istanbul Department, the Faculties of Architecture of the Technical Universities of Darmstadt and Karlsruhe, students and academics from Istanbul Technical University, and two sociologists from the University of Tübingen, Heike Offen and Claudia Schöning-Kalender. The architectural documentation of the area, selected in cooperation with the municipal administration, was carried out under the direction of Dipl.-Ing. Johannes Cramer. Further analysis and evaluation of the research were conducted at both the Technical University of Darmstadt and the Institute for the History of Architecture at the University of Karlsruhe. These collaborations continued over the next fifty years through various DAI Istanbul research initiatives.

The Zeyrek research project revealed that most of the documented buildings dated from the 20th century, with only a few constructed before 1900. Nevertheless, the neighborhood’s layout and architectural style were found to reflect much older traditions. Sadly, many of the structures recorded in 1977–78 have not survived to the present day.

The Zeyrek archive housed at the DAI Istanbul Department, largely founded on the results of this project, has continued to inspire subsequent DAI research. In 2008, Dr.-Ing. Martin Bachmann, then deputy director of the DAI Istanbul Department and a scholar of timber architecture, organized an exhibition titled Wooden Istanbul, which featured examples of Istanbul’s wooden residential architecture, including houses from Zeyrek. In 2014, with the support of the University of Karlsruhe, efforts began to transfer the Zeyrek data into a Geographic Information System (GIS). This process was completed in 2022, when the Zeyrek-GIS was made publicly accessible online to researchers worldwide.

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During the application process for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the 1979 Istanbul and Göreme campaign and the work of Prof. Nezih Eldem were influential. Eldem describes the urban fabric of Süleymaniye and Zeyrek as follows:

“An organic road network, integrated with houses and gardens, closed off to the street; the width and alignment of the streets, the height of the bay windows above the ground—everything was shaped for the pedestrian and the mounted rider… Within the neighborhood fabric formed by houses with their roof forms and bay windows amid the greenery of inner gardens that at points extend to the street, almost every room—and thus, in other words, every person—finds expression: the self-sufficient wholeness of self-sufficient units; neighborly relations in which families from every income group lived side by side… The seemingly irrational shaping of both the spatial texture and the plastic composition formed by the buildings is more than a factual coincidence; it is an elucidation of a culture of living, a worldview, and a system of values.”

These efforts bore fruit; supported by the research and documentation initiated in the late 1970s, Istanbul’s Historic Areas were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.

The work carried out continued to inspire research and documentation in the ensuing years. Since 2015, the Istanbul Cultural Heritage Inventory has provided an accessible, map-based resource. Drawing on this inventory, the World Heritage Süleymaniye Conservation Strategy Report was initiated by the İBB Department of Cultural Heritage at the end of 2021. The research, documentation, analyses, and recommendations conducted in Süleymaniye—prominent for its multilayered cultural heritage identity—within the framework of the “living heritage” and “Historic Urban Landscape” approaches were published in 2023 with the scholarly contributions of Prof. Dr. Zeynep Ahunbay and Prof. Dr. İclal Dinçer.

VALENS AQUEDUCT

The Valens Aqueduct, a monument from the Late Roman–Early Byzantine period, runs parallel to the Golden Horn along Atatürk Boulevard between Istanbul’s third and fourth hills, Beyazıt and Fatih. Initiated by the Eastern Roman Emperor Valens as part of the Thracian Waterways, its construction is understood to have been completed between 368 and 373. Repaired after the conquest of Istanbul, the aqueduct was thereafter known as “Bozdoğan” and served the city as part of the historic water system that operated from its 4th-century construction through the end of the Ottoman period. Having largely preserved its integrity and authenticity, the Valens Aqueduct endures as a significant element of the Golden Horn skyline and the city’s topography, linking the World Heritage districts of Süleymaniye and Zeyrek.

MOLLA ZEYREK MOSQUE (PANTOKRATOR CHURCH)

“Pantokrator” means “almighty.” Between 1118 and 1124, Empress Irene, wife of John II Komnenos, commissioned the construction of today’s south church, dedicated to Jesus Christ, Ruler of the Universe (Christos Pantokrator). After the Empress’s death, another church of the same type was built immediately to the north of the Pantokrator Church, dedicated to the Merciful Mother of God (Theotokos Eleousa). Later, a two-domed chapel was added between the two churches and dedicated to the Archangel Michael (Archangelos Mikail) as the imperial mausoleum. Most likely during this period, an outer narthex was constructed in front of the south church. The architect known for these churches is Nikephoros. The three churches stood within a rather extensive monastic complex. After the conquest of Istanbul, until the construction of the Fatih Complex, the monastic buildings were used as a madrasah, and the Pantokrator churches were converted into what is now the Molla Zeyrek Mosque.

SULEYMANIYE COMPLEX

Commissioned by Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent and built by Architect Sinan between 1550 and 1557 on Istanbul’s third hill overlooking the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus, the Süleymaniye Complex is the landmark ensemble that gives the district its name. Reflecting classical Ottoman architecture, the complex functions as a civic center and comprises the mosque and its surrounding madrasas, a dār al-hadith, hospital (darüşşifâ), Qur’an recitation school (darülkurrâ), primary school (sıbyan mektebi), public kitchen (imaret), guesthouse (tabhane), bath (hamam), fountain, tombs, and a row of shops. Beyond worship, the Süleymaniye Complex also housed functions such as education, health, and commerce, making it a unique work that showcases Architect Sinan’s genius in urbanism and planning. The complex’s impact on the city skyline, the placement of its components in harmony with the topography, and its architectural design were influential in defining Istanbul’s Outstanding Universal Value and its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Interviews

1. ZEYNEP AHUNBAY

The interview with Zeynep Ahunbay was held at Metrohan in April 2026. Prof. Dr. Zeynep Ahunbay has taken part in documentation and conservation efforts in Süleymaniye and Zeyrek—most notably the restoration of the Pantokrator Church (Zeyrek Mosque) and the preservation of civil architecture in the area—and has been a leading figure in training numerous researchers and advancing academic work on safeguarding Outstanding Universal Value and the integrity of the urban fabric. Ahunbay, who has also served as Head of the ITU Department of Restoration, Chair of ICOMOS Turkey, and as a UNESCO advisor, continues her efforts to protect and sustain Istanbul’s multilayered, rich identity.

2. JOHANNES CRAMER

The interview with Johannes Cramer was conducted for the exhibition titled “Voices from a Historic District of Istanbul,” planned for 2021, and was subsequently published in a book of the same name. Between 1977 and 1981, the work of documenting the Molla Zeyrek Mosque and its surroundings by architecture students from the Technical University of Darmstadt was led by Dipl.-Ing. Johannes Cramer.

3. HEIKE OFFEN-EREN (18.04.1947 – 13.04.2023)

The interview with Heike Offen-Eren was conducted for the exhibition titled “Voices from a Historic District of Istanbul,” planned for 2021, and was subsequently published in a book of the same name. Since 1978, Heike Offen-Eren has participated as a sociologist in the German Archaeological Institute’s work in Zeyrek. While a student at the University of Tübingen, she collected material on the local social conditions and later joined the research team, contributing to the Zeyrek-GIS project in many respects.

4. NURAN ZEREN GÜLERSOY

The interview with Nuran Zeren Gülersoy was held at Metrohan in April 2026. Prof. Dr. Nuran Zeren Gülersoy specializes in urban conservation, urban planning, and the improvement of historic environments; in the 1990s, within the preparations for the Zeyrek Conservation-Oriented Development Plan, she conducted strategic documentation and planning studies aimed at preserving the area’s historical identity. Having also served as Director of the ITU Environmental and Urban Studies Research and Application Center (UYG-AR) and as a member of the Executive Board for the Istanbul Historic Peninsula Management Plan, Gülersoy continues her academic and civil society work on transmitting cultural heritage to future generations.