100-year-old building collapses in Istanbul’s Karaköy

ISTANBUL

The 100-year-old building of Beyazıt Han in Istanbul’s Karaköy district has collapsed, a place that carried significant historical importance for being a hub for tailors in the past.

Partial collapses occurred in the historic abandoned building on Kemeraltı Street in the morning hours of April 6. Upon the incident, police and fire brigade teams were dispatched to the scene.

Security measures were taken around the building on the street where the tramway passes, while the road nearby was closed to traffic. Other buildings in the vicinity were also evacuated.

During the day, the building continued to experience partial collapses as chunks of concrete kept falling from the structure and scattered on the sidewalks. Security forces placed iron barriers around the building as the rubble fell on the streets, and a dense dust cloud formed in the surrounding area.

The historical building collapsed to a great extent after about nine hours following the initial collapse.

Thanks to the preventative measures taken, there were no casualties or injuries reported.

According to sources, the Conservation Board members were already in talks about demolishing the building in a controlled manner. However, Beyazıt Han collapsed on its own.

The Istanbul Municipality teams started debris removal works after the collapse.

Oktay Özel, head of the municipality’s Cultural Assets Department, said the building was a second-degree registered historical monument.

“In 2015, the Conservation Board approved the retrofitting and restoration projects. Although a license was obtained in 2016, restoration and strengthening works were not initiated by the property owner, unfortunately,” Özel said.

Beyazıt Han was built on the Roman bath on Kemeraltı Street in the early 1900s, hosting tailor shops and offices for years before being evacuated and abandoned.