Kazim Karabekir Pasha Museum
The mansion, which is used as a museum today, was built by Sultan II. It was built with wood by the Italian architect and sculptor Rozette, by Abdülhamid's Minister of Education, Munif Tahir Pasha from Antep. After the collapse of the Ottoman state, the mansion remained almost empty until 1929.
The mansion was also known as the "Giraffe Mansion" because of a giant giraffe statue in its garden, made by its architect. Over time, the giraffe statue in the garden along with the mansion got old and the name "Haunted Mansion" was given due to the effect of the wind causing a hum that disturbed the residents.
The mansion was bought by Kazım Karabekir Pasha on November 15, 1930 and the family moved to this house. When they moved into the house, there was only a sofa, rugs, the Turkish flag on the wall and family photos. Quilts and blankets were nailed to the windows of other rooms; There was no glass in the windows. There was no money to have glass installed. The mansion was used by the family only as a place for summer holidays. Kazım Karabekir Pasha, when he was still alive, created a museum in a part of the mansion where his family and belongings, which he had accumulated and kept since his childhood, are exhibited. The idea of establishing a museum in the mansion after the foundation of the foundation was a result of this initiative of Pasha. Returning to Istanbul in 1948 after the death of Kazım Karabekir Pasha, the family lived here in summer and winter. However, after the death of his wife İclal Hanım, the mansion was inherited by Emel Karabekir Özerengin, one of Kazım Karabekir's twin daughters.
After the death of Emel Karabekir Özerengin in 1984, the mansion remained closed. In 2002, the Kazım Karabekir Foundation was established by the Pasha's daughters Hayat Karabekir Feyzioğlu and Timsal Karabekir Yıldıran and Emel Hanım's daughter Gülden Gazioğlu to keep the name and memory of Kazım Karabekir Pasha alive.
In 2005, a special museum was established by the Kazım Karabekir Foundation in the name of Kazım Karabekir Pasha, under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, on two floors of the mansion, in line with the purposes of the foundation.
