Ramazanoğlu mansion becomes cultural center
ADANA - Anatolia News Agency
The historical mansion was built between 1360 and 1390 and It consists of two main parts. One part is Harem and the other is Selamlık. AA photo
One of the oldest examples of civil architecture in the world, Adana’s Ramazanoğlu Mansion played host to Kanuni Sultan Süleyman and Murad 4. during Ottoman times. With the support of Çukurova University, the building has now been transformed into an arts and culture venue.Speaking to the Anatolia News Agency, Gözde Ramazanoğlu, Ramazanoğlu arts and culture mansion manager and president of the Çukurova University Turkish and Islam History department said Ramazanoğlu Seignior built the mansion and hosted Yavuz Sultan Selim during his long journey to Egypt.
The mansion was later taken on by the Ottomans and became a commodity of the empire, said Ramazanoğlu. “The building was built between 1360 and 1390,” she said. “It consists of two main parts. The Harem is the main part which the family lived in, while Selamlık is the other part, which hosted the official works.”
The room of emperors
“The room where the emperors were hosted has the same characteristics as the exclusive rooms of Topkapı Palace,” she said. The exclusive room belongs to the Selamlık part of the house as was the place the emperor would perform his official duties. The mansion is the oldest example of the civil architecture and is a unique building, said Ramazanoğlu. “If this building were built in a different European city, we would call it a castle.” “Mansions do not get the same attention as churches and the mosques in terms of investment in restoration,” Ramazanoğlu said. “But we have helped to restore this building because it has value and is important for the cultural heritage of Turkey.” It is an important building in relation to the history of architecture around the world, according to Ramazanoğlu.
The surroundings of the building are also very important in terms of historical heritage. “There are lots of historical buildings around the mansion,” she said. The mosque near the building was built in 1508.
Older than Topkapı Palace
The mansion is older than Topkapı Palace and a legacy of ancient times. The latest restoration project started in 2008. After the restoration, Çukurova University rented the mansion and turned it into a culture and arts venue. The room where Fatih Sultan Mehmed stayed is the main room. “In old buildings it is very rare to see a Turkish bath on the second floor because, traditionally, the infrastructure was not strong enough to support a bath on an upper level. However, this building boasts a Turkish bath on the second floor, especially for the emperor.” This is yet another defining and unique characteristic of the building, Ramazanoğlu said. “The Turkish bath is housed near the main room where the emperor would have been hosted,” she added. This main room and another large room, which had in the past been used to hold official meetings, are now being used as part of the museum.
