Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion (Perili Köşk)

Construction of the mansion began in 1910 under Yusuf Ziya Pasha, a prominent Ottoman merchant, diplomat, and advisor to Sultan Mehmed V. Pasha envisioned a grand ten-story residence crowned with an observation tower overlooking the Bosphorus, combining Ottoman classical motifs with Western castle architecture. Pasha selected this strategic Bosphorus site specifically to command breathtaking vistas across both the European and Asian shores.

However, the outbreak of World War I in 1914 and the entry of the Ottoman Empire into the conflict disrupted construction. When British naval forces commandeered Pasha's merchant ships, his financial empire collapsed. Construction ground to a sudden halt, leaving only the bare brick shell and tower completed. Despite its incomplete construction, the massive ten-story brick structure became an unmistakable feature of the Bosphorus skyline for nearly a century. Architectural historians regard the distinctive unpainted red-brick structure as a unique blend of Ottoman domestic and European styles.

For nearly eighty years, the unpainted brick mansion stood empty, decaying on the waterfront as an imposing ghost structure. In 1993, the Borusan Group leased the property for 90 years, undertaking a meticulous architectural restoration completed in 2000 that preserved the historic facade while building an ultra-modern interior. Today, it serves as Borusan's corporate headquarters on weekdays and the Borusan Contemporary art museum on weekends. Today, the restored building serves as a shining example of cultural adaptive reuse in modern Istanbul.

The dominant legend surrounding Perili Köşk centers on Yusuf Ziya Pasha's young wife and the overwhelming jealousy that governed their domestic life. Local tradition states that Pasha was so terrified of other men admiring her beauty that he built the ten-story tower specifically to keep her isolated from Istanbul high society. Stories of Pasha's intense devotion and protective instincts spread quickly among high society families living along the Bosphorus strait.

According to local folklore, after Pasha's financial collapse and the subsequent abandonment of the construction, the ghost of his young wife remained bound to the unfinished mansion. Bosphorus boatmen and night fishermen claimed for decades that they saw a pale figure in a long white dress standing at the highest tower window at dusk, staring longingly across the waters toward Asia. Maritime folklore along the Bosphorus strait includes stories from local fishermen who claimed that strange red lights glowed from the observation tower on stormy autumn nights. Local ferry boat captains often pointed out the looming brick tower to passengers as they navigated through the Bosphorus waters.

Other stories whisper that the spirits of former Ottoman brickmasons and workers who died during the initial construction continue to haunt the brick stairwells. Local residents claimed that phantom hammering and dragging noises could be heard coming from the empty brick shell late at night before its restoration. Urban folklorists continue to collect local stories from long-time Rumelihisarı residents who remember the mansion's abandoned decades.

During the multi-decade period when the mansion stood abandoned, local residents and night patrol officers frequently reported strange occurrences. Reports included glowing lights moving behind unglazed window openings, phantom footsteps climbing the central tower stairs, and sudden cold drafts sweeping along the exterior walls. Local nightwatchmen working along the coastal road often described unusual acoustic reflections bouncing off the brick facade.

Restoration workers in the late 1990s documented recurring equipment malfunctions, missing tools reappearing in sealed rooms, and the sensation of being closely watched while working in the upper tower levels. Architectural conservation teams carefully recorded all environmental conditions during the comprehensive late 1990s restoration.

Even after its conversion into a modern art museum, security personnel occasionally report unusual acoustic echoes, elevator doors opening on empty floors late at night, and unexplained shadows moving through the high glass atrium after closing hours. Staff working in the modern art galleries occasionally observe subtle electromagnetic field anomalies near the central elevator shaft after public gallery hours. Museum docents occasionally mention that evening gallery visitors report feeling cool breezes near the glass atrium windows.

Perili Köşk is a ten-story red-brick castle-like structure featuring unpainted exterior brickwork, arched windows, decorative stone cornices, and an imposing observation tower. The original design blended late Ottoman domestic style with European Gothic Revival elements. The unpainted exterior red brickwork gives the ten-story mansion a striking, castle-like presence on the Bosphorus shoreline.

The modern interior renovation inserted a state-of-the-art glass-and-steel framework within the historic brick shell, creating multi-level exhibition spaces, corporate offices, media art galleries, and a rooftop terrace offering sweeping panoramas of the Bosphorus strait. The upper observation tower features vaulted brick arches and panoramic glass windows framing breathtaking views of the Bosphorus suspension bridge. The modern glass and steel inner atrium contrasts beautifully with the century-old exterior masonry walls.

Perili Köşk is situated in the Rumelihisarı neighborhood of Sarıyer district in Istanbul, located on Baltalimanı Hisar Street right beneath the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge. It is accessible by public bus along the coastal road or via taxi from M2 metro stations (Levent or Etiler). Public bus routes traveling along the Bosphorus coastal avenue provide direct access to the Rumelihisarı museum bus stop.

The venue is open to the general public as Borusan Contemporary museum on Saturdays and Sundays between 10:00 and 19:00, with admission tickets available at the door. The surrounding Rumelihisarı district offers delightful waterfront walking paths, historical fortresses, and traditional Turkish tea houses. Visitors attending weekend exhibitions can enjoy panoramic views of the Bosphorus bridge from the upper museum terrace.

Its striking unpainted red-brick facade, iconic position directly beneath the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, and nine decades spent as an unfinished haunted shell give Perili Köşk a legendary status. Today, its dual identity as a high-tech corporate center and contemporary art museum makes it a truly unique Bosphorus landmark. The striking transformation of a decaying haunted shell into an international modern art museum creates a unique bridge between historic legend and contemporary culture.