Turkey’s most expensive mansion on sale for 550 million liras

ISTANBUL-Demirören News Agency

Turkey’s most expensive mansion, Tophane Müşiri Zeki Paşa Mansion, is on sale for 550 million Turkish Liras (approximately $95.5 million).

The building is one of the largest on the Bosphorus Strait and is now the largest waterfront property on the market.

Almost directly under the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge on the European shore, this huge mansion was built in 1899 for a field marshal in the Ottoman army named Müşir Zeki Paşa.

The 120-year-old mansion has 23 rooms each with sea views, eight bathrooms, four kitchens, a 4,000-square-foot garden, a lift and a 110-meter pier. It is listed as one of the 10 most expensive houses in the world.

The famous French architect Alexandre Vallaury designed this five-story mansion. Vallaury designed many Istanbul landmarks and was in high demand as the city’s elite put up summer waterfront homes, or yalıs.

While most such yalıs were built of wood — and as a result some have been destroyed by fire — Müşir Zeki Paşa Mansion was made of brick and mortar, made to look like stones, with a baroque style. The mansion is a historic landmark.

In 2011, the mansion was put on the market for 200 million liras. But, since no one gave the owner the desired amount, the sale offer was cancelled. Two years ago, the owner put the mansion up for sale again, and they updated the offer on Oct. 1.

Sinem Ayıkcan Yılmaz, an agent for Ayıkcan Real Estate, said there are 52 mansions on the Bosphorus that are currently for sale. “Zeki Paşa Mansion was put up for sale in 2011, but then the owners withdrew from the sale, and then later, they decided up for it again. We are the sole agent company that is responsible for the mansion’s sale for the last two years. There is interest especially from the Gulf countries. The sale could not happen yet since we could not agree on the price,” she said.