US mission ‘covered’ erotic paintings in historic building in Istanbul

Ceyhun Kuburlu ISTANBUL

The Palazzo Corpi was built in 1860 by Giacomo Leoni for Italian businessman Ignazzio Corpi.

Restorations at a historic building in central Istanbul, which was used by the U.S. as an embassy and consulate building for nearly a century, have unveiled a unique example of "censorship," after nude drawings surfaced from under thick wall paint.  

The U.S. mission left the building in the Tepebaşı neighborhood of Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district in 2003 and it has remained mostly idle since then. However, property developer Serdar Bilgili recently hired the facility for 51 years to transform the venue into a branch of the private members' club, Soho House, after which he made the sensational discovery.

During restorations of the building, workers came across “erotic” murals when they removed thick paint from the walls.  

Bilgili confirmed to daily Hürriyet that the paintings on the walls were covered when the building was used as the U.S. consulate, as they were considered improper.

The Palazzo Corpi was built in 1860 by Giacomo Leoni for Itailan businessman Ignazzio Corpi. The U.S. consulate left the building in 2003 in a bid to move to a more secure location following the 9/11 al-Qaeda attacks.

Soho House was founded in London in 1995 as a private members’ club for those in film, media and creative industries. Its venues vary from hotels and houses, to restaurants and cinemas.