Where is Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion in İzmit?

Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion is located in Hacıhasan Mahallesi in the historic upper part of İzmit, Kocaeli, above the modern city centre and the Gulf of İzmit.

Did Selim Sırrı Pasha design the mansion himself?

Historical accounts traditionally credit Selim Sırrı Pasha himself with preparing the architectural plan of the mansion.

What is special about Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion?

The mansion is known for its late-Ottoman residential architecture, traditional haremlik and selamlık arrangement, painted kalem işi decoration, landscape scenes and distinctive upper cihannüma.

What is a cihannüma?

A cihannüma is an elevated viewing room or pavilion found in some Ottoman houses, designed to provide light, ventilation and panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.

Was Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion damaged by fire?

Yes. The historic mansion suffered major damage in a fire in 2002 before undergoing an extensive conservation and restoration programme.

When was Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion restored?

A major restoration programme began in 2009 and was completed in 2012, allowing the historic residence to return to public use.

Is Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion a museum?

Yes. The restored mansion functions as a historic house museum and cultural venue where visitors can explore late-Ottoman residential architecture and decorative arts.

How long should I spend at Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion?

Around 45 to 60 minutes is usually enough to explore the principal rooms, painted decoration, architectural details and garden without rushing.

Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion İzmit – Ottoman House Visitor Guide

Q: When was Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion built?

Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion was constructed in 1891–1892 during the late Ottoman period.

Q: Who was Selim Sırrı Pasha?

Selim Sırrı Pasha was an Ottoman administrator and engineer who served as İzmit Mutasarrıfı and was closely associated with public works and urban development in late nineteenth-century İzmit.

The Administrator Who Helped Reshape Late-Ottoman İzmit

Who Was Selim Sırrı Pasha?

Selim Sırrı Pasha was an Ottoman administrator and engineer whose career was closely connected with roads, bridges and public works. He was born in 1851 and later became one of the important administrative figures associated with late nineteenth-century İzmit.

During his period as İzmit Mutasarrıfı, roughly equivalent to the senior provincial administrator of the district, he promoted improvements in roads and infrastructure. His background in public works strongly influenced his approach to administration.

Local historical tradition also connects Selim Sırrı Pasha with the plane trees planted along important İzmit routes, part of a broader programme intended to improve the appearance and infrastructure of the city.

His interest in construction extended into his private life. The plan of the mansion is traditionally credited directly to the Pasha, making the building a particularly personal architectural legacy.

Selim Sırrı Pasha spent the later years of his life in İzmit and died in 1924. The mansion therefore functioned not merely as an official showpiece, but as a genuine family residence connected with the final decades of his life.

1851–1924

Selim Sırrı Pasha lived through a period of enormous political and technological change in the Ottoman Empire.

Engineer

His professional background was strongly connected with roads, bridges and public works.

Mutasarrıf

He became one of the senior Ottoman administrators responsible for İzmit.

Architectural Legacy

The mansion's plan is traditionally attributed to Selim Sırrı Pasha himself.

A Prestigious Residence Above the Gulf

When Was Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion Built?

The mansion was constructed during 1891–1892, at the height of Selim Sırrı Pasha's association with İzmit.

This was an important period in the city's development. The arrival of the railway, expanding commercial activity, new roads and administrative reforms were changing İzmit rapidly.

Rather than building on the flat waterfront, Selim Sırrı Pasha chose a prominent site in the upper historic city. The sloping terrain offered views over the urban centre and toward the Gulf of İzmit.

The choice tells us something about the geography of prestige in nineteenth-century İzmit. The hillside neighbourhoods were not peripheral; they contained important houses, religious buildings and administrative residences overlooking the commercial city below.

Look beyond the building: The surrounding streets are part of the historical experience. Selim Sırrı Paşa Street and nearby Kapanca Street preserve elements of the steep, organic street pattern that shaped traditional İzmit.

Traditional Ottoman Planning with Late-Nineteenth-Century Elegance

Architecture of Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion was constructed primarily using wooden-frame building techniques, one of the defining characteristics of Ottoman residential architecture.

The house rises through four architectural levels: a ground floor, principal upper floor, lower intermediate level and the upper cihannüma.

The principal floors use an interior-hall or iç sofa plan. Rooms are organized around central circulation spaces, allowing both functional separation and controlled movement between different areas of the household.

The mansion was also divided between haremlik and selamlık. These were not simply male and female halves in the modern simplified sense; they were part of a broader system separating the more private domestic life of the household from spaces where guests, official visitors and public business could be received.

Wooden Frame

The building belongs to the timber-based residential tradition characteristic of many late-Ottoman houses.

Four Levels

The mansion incorporates its principal floors, an intermediate level and the upper viewing floor.

İç Sofa

Rooms are arranged around interior halls rather than along a simple external corridor.

Haremlik & Selamlık

Private family spaces and formal reception functions were architecturally distinguished.

Understanding How an Ottoman Elite Household Functioned

Haremlik and Selamlık at Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

One of the most valuable aspects of visiting the mansion is the opportunity to understand the spatial organization of an elite Ottoman home.

The haremlik formed the more private domestic world of the household. Family life, children, relatives and everyday activities were centred in this part of the residence.

The selamlık, by contrast, was associated more closely with formal reception, male guests, administrative conversations and the outward-facing social life of the owner.

At Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion, the eastern and western areas of the building were organized according to this distinction, allowing privacy to coexist with the Pasha's public responsibilities.

For modern visitors, this arrangement makes the mansion particularly valuable. Instead of seeing individual rooms as isolated displays, try to imagine how people moved through the building and how architecture controlled access, visibility and social interaction.

The Viewing Pavilion Above Historic İzmit

The Cihannüma and Gulf of İzmit View

One of the mansion's most distinctive features is its upper cihannüma.

The word can be understood literally as something close to “a place from which the world can be seen.” In Ottoman domestic architecture, a cihannüma was an elevated room, pavilion or viewing level designed to take advantage of surrounding scenery.

At Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion, the elevated position of the house already gives it a commanding relationship with İzmit. The upper viewing level strengthens that connection, opening the residence visually toward the Gulf of İzmit.

This was not only a practical architectural feature. Views, light and ventilation were important components of prestigious Ottoman residential design. The cihannüma therefore represents both comfort and social status.

Upper Viewing Level

The cihannüma crowns the mansion and gives its silhouette one of its most recognizable features.

Gulf Orientation

The residence takes advantage of İzmit's steep terrain and views toward the water.

Light & Air

Elevated Ottoman rooms were valued for ventilation, daylight and visual openness.

Status

A panoramic upper space reinforced the prestige of an important official residence.

Painted Landscapes, Flowers, Geometry and Gold

The Painted Interiors of Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

For many visitors, the most memorable part of the mansion is not its exterior but its interior decoration.

Walls and ceilings contain elaborate kalem işi ornament, a traditional painted decorative technique used widely in Ottoman architecture.

The decorative programme includes floral compositions, geometric designs, painted architectural details and landscape scenes. Some areas also incorporate gilded accents, giving important rooms a richer ceremonial appearance.

These paintings reflect the changing artistic world of the late Ottoman Empire, when traditional decorative vocabulary increasingly interacted with European-influenced landscape painting, perspective and new concepts of interior display.

Local tradition holds that some of the decorators may have been craftsmen or painters connected with work at Dolmabahçe Palace. This attribution is often repeated in local sources, but is best understood as a historical tradition rather than a securely documented attribution.

Kalem İşi

Hand-painted decoration covers important wall and ceiling surfaces throughout the mansion.

Landscape Painting

Scenic compositions reflect the changing visual culture of the nineteenth-century Ottoman world.

Floral Motifs

Stylized leaves and flowers create elegant decorative borders and compositions.

Geometric Ornament

Traditional patterned decoration appears alongside more pictorial themes.

Gold Details

Selected decorative areas use gilded effects to increase richness and visual emphasis.

Dolmabahçe Tradition

Local accounts associate the decoration with artists connected with Dolmabahçe Palace, although the attribution remains traditional rather than certain.

Roman Nicomedia Hidden Inside an Ottoman Garden Wall

Ancient Stones at Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

One of the easiest details to miss is found not in the principal rooms, but around the garden walls.

Historic construction around the mansion incorporates spolia — older architectural fragments reused within later buildings. Some of these pieces are associated with the ancient city of Nicomedia.

This reuse creates an extraordinary visual connection between two very different periods of İzmit's history. A late nineteenth-century Ottoman residence literally incorporates material belonging to the much older Roman city that once occupied the same landscape.

Spolia was common in cities with long histories. Older masonry, columns and carved stone could remain visible, be reused practically or acquire new decorative meaning within later structures.

Look carefully in the garden: Do not focus only on the painted rooms. The walls surrounding the property help connect Ottoman İzmit with ancient Nicomedia beneath and around it.

Beyond Architecture – Imagining the Household

Life Inside an Ottoman Pasha's Mansion

Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion was not originally designed as a museum. It was a functioning elite household.

Its halls and rooms once accommodated family life, servants, visitors, formal meetings, meals and the daily routines required by a large nineteenth-century residence.

The separation between formal and private areas reflects the importance of hospitality and privacy within Ottoman domestic culture. Guests could be received with appropriate ceremony without automatically entering the private world of the household.

Windows, bay projections, sofas and the elevated cihannüma also demonstrate how domestic architecture responded to light, climate views and social life.

Today's museum arrangement helps visitors read these rooms as more than decorative spaces. Furniture, objects, documents and interpretive displays evoke both Selim Sırrı Pasha's life and the social atmosphere of late-Ottoman Kocaeli.

The Disaster That Nearly Destroyed the Mansion

The 2002 Fire at Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

The survival of the mansion cannot be taken for granted. After remaining in family ownership into the twentieth century, the building gradually entered a difficult period.

In 2002, a major fire left the historic structure severely damaged.

Fire is particularly destructive to Ottoman residential buildings because large parts of their structural systems, floors, ceilings and decorative elements are made from timber.

For Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion, the disaster placed one of İzmit's most important examples of civil architecture at serious risk. Without a major conservation intervention, the building could easily have been lost.

From Fire-Damaged Ruin to Award-Winning Restoration

The Restoration of Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality acquired the property in 2007 with the aim of rescuing the damaged historic building.

A major restoration programme began in 2009 and was completed in 2012.

The project sought to recover the mansion's architectural character, reconstruct damaged timber elements, conserve surviving historic fabric and recreate important decorative features.

The significance of the project was recognized nationally. The restoration received a 2011 Implementation Award from the Historical Cities Union (Tarihi Kentler Birliği).

The mansion was subsequently adapted as a historic house museum and cultural venue, allowing the building to return to public life rather than remaining a closed monument.

2002

A destructive fire caused major damage to the historic residence.

2007

Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality acquired the property for conservation.

2009

Comprehensive restoration work began.

2011

The conservation project received an Implementation Award from the Historical Cities Union.

2012

The principal restoration campaign was completed.

Today

The mansion functions as a museum, heritage site and cultural-event venue.

The Details That Make the Mansion Special

What Should You See at Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion?

Main Façade

Study the contrast between masonry, timber elements, projecting windows and the elevated upper pavilion.

Painted Ceilings

Look upward in the principal rooms for some of the mansion's most elaborate decorative work.

Landscape Paintings

The scenic wall paintings reveal the cosmopolitan visual taste of the late Ottoman period.

Kalem İşi

Floral, geometric and architectural painted ornament gives the interior much of its distinctive character.

Haremlik

Use the private section to understand how domestic family space was organized.

Selamlık

The reception areas demonstrate the public-facing side of an Ottoman official's household.

Cihannüma

The elevated viewing level is one of the most characteristic features of the building.

Garden Walls

Look for reused ancient material connecting the mansion with the archaeological history of Nicomedia.

Gulf View

The hillside position explains why this neighbourhood was desirable for an important nineteenth-century residence.

Museum Displays

Objects, documents and room arrangements help interpret Selim Sırrı Pasha and late-Ottoman urban life.

Painted Rooms, Timber Details and a Historic Garden

Photography at Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

The mansion is one of the most photogenic historic buildings in İzmit.

Outside, the strongest compositions usually combine the wooden upper structure, garden and cihannüma. Stepping farther back can help show how the building rises against İzmit's hillside.

Inside, the most interesting subjects are the painted ceilings, decorated wall panels, woodwork and furnished rooms.

Because the decoration contains delicate restored surfaces, avoid touching walls or leaning equipment against historic elements. Flash, tripods or professional photography may be subject to staff instructions.

Exterior

Use the garden to frame the main façade and upper wooden pavilion.

Painted Rooms

Interior ornament often photographs best with available natural light.

Ceiling Details

Remember to photograph upward — some of the finest decorative work is above eye level.

Garden

The surrounding greenery provides useful wider views of the residence.

Historic Streets

Include the steep surrounding neighbourhood to place the mansion within old İzmit.

Ask Before Flash

Follow current museum instructions concerning flash, tripods and professional equipment.

An Easy Introduction to Ottoman Domestic Life

Visiting Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion with Children

The mansion can be a surprisingly engaging historic site for families because its story is easier to visualize than that of many archaeological monuments.

Children can imagine a family actually living inside the rooms, receiving visitors, looking across the Gulf and climbing to the upper cihannüma.

The painted decoration, old furniture, different levels and garden make the visit visually varied.

Explain before entering that the building and decorations are historic. Children should avoid touching painted walls, furniture and exhibition objects unless specifically permitted.

For a broader family day, combine the mansion with İzmit Clock Tower and SEKA Paper Museum.

A Historic House Built on İzmit's Steep Hillside

Accessibility at Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

The main accessibility issue is the combination of historic architecture and steep terrain.

The mansion stands in the upper part of İzmit, where streets rise sharply from the waterfront and central commercial district. A taxi is considerably easier than walking uphill for visitors with limited mobility.

Because the mansion contains several historic levels, stairs form an important part of the original circulation pattern. Access to every room or upper level therefore may not be possible for all visitors.

Visitors who require step-free access should contact the museum before travelling to confirm which areas are currently accessible and whether assistance is available.

Steep District

The surrounding old-city streets can be challenging for visitors with reduced mobility.

Historic Stairs

Several parts of the house are connected vertically through its original multi-level arrangement.

Taxi Recommended

A taxi can remove much of the difficult uphill approach from central İzmit.

Check in Advance

Contact the museum if access to specific floors is essential.

Simple Planning for a Better Visit

Practical Tips for Visiting Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

Look Up

Many of the finest painted details are located on ceilings and upper wall surfaces.

Allow 45 Minutes

Do not rush through the rooms if you want to study the decoration properly.

See the Garden

The exterior, garden walls and reused ancient stonework are important parts of the site.

Wear Comfortable Shoes

The historic neighbourhood surrounding the mansion contains steep streets.

Visit on a Clear Day

Good weather makes the Gulf view and surrounding historic-city walk more rewarding.

Monday Closed

Current museum information lists Monday as the weekly closing day.

No Food Inside

Food and drinks should not be taken into the museum interiors.

Combine with Kapanca

The mansion belongs naturally in a walking route through İzmit's historic upper neighbourhoods.

Planning Information for 2026

Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion Visitor Information – 2026

Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion currently functions as a historic house museum and cultural venue under Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality.

Current museum information lists regular visiting hours as 09:00–17:00 from Tuesday to Sunday.

The mansion is normally closed on Mondays.

General admission is free, making it an especially worthwhile addition to a historic İzmit walking itinerary.

Temporary exhibitions, workshops, private cultural events, maintenance or conservation requirements can occasionally affect normal access.

Tuesday–Sunday

09:00–17:00

Monday

Closed.

Admission

Free.

Type

Historic house museum and cultural venue.

Address

Hacıhasan Mah., Sırrı Paşa Cd. No:18, İzmit.

Telephone

+90 262 322 65 03

2026 planning note: Opening times published for historic buildings can change. If the mansion is a priority for your trip, confirm current hours shortly before travelling, especially around national holidays or special events.

Into the Historic Hills Above Central İzmit

How to Get to Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

The mansion is located on Sırrı Paşa Caddesi in the historic upper part of İzmit.

Travellers exploring the old city can reach it on foot from Kapanca Street or the Clock Tower, but expect significant gradients.

Walking is rewarding because the route passes through some of İzmit's most atmospheric traditional streets, but comfortable footwear is important.

For travellers with limited mobility, young children or limited time, a taxi is the easiest option. Simply ask for “Selim Sırrı Paşa Konağı.”

On Foot

Ideal if you are already exploring Kapanca Street and the old-city hillside.

By Taxi

The simplest way to avoid İzmit's steep climb from the waterfront.

Historic Route

Combine the mansion with traditional houses, fountains, mosques and the Clock Tower.

Google Maps

Search for “Selim Sırrı Paşa Konağı, İzmit.”

Historic Streets Were Not Designed for Modern Traffic

Parking Near Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

The mansion lies within an older residential district where streets can be narrow, steep and irregular.

Parking immediately beside the property should not be assumed. Use legal municipal or neighbourhood parking and avoid blocking house entrances or narrow historic streets.

If you are unfamiliar with upper İzmit, using a taxi or leaving your vehicle closer to the central city and exploring the historic district on foot can be more convenient.

From Ancient Nicomedia to Ottoman Mansions and the Modern City

Suggested Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion & Historic İzmit Route

Begin at Kocaeli Archaeology Museum to explore the ancient Roman and Byzantine city of Nicomedia.

Continue into upper İzmit toward Orhan Mosque, which represents the city's early Ottoman period.

Then walk through Kapanca Street, where historic houses, fountains and steep lanes preserve the character of traditional İzmit.

Continue to Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion to move forward into the late nineteenth century. Take time to study the painted decoration, haremlik and selamlık organization and upper cihannüma.

Descend toward İzmit Clock Tower and Kasr-ı Hümayun for the imperial architecture of late-Ottoman İzmit.

Finish closer to the waterfront with SEKA Paper Museum to carry the story into modern industrial Türkiye.

Stop 1

Kocaeli Archaeology Museum – Roman and Byzantine Nicomedia.

Stop 2

Orhan Mosque – the beginnings of Ottoman İzmit.

Stop 3

Kapanca Street – traditional urban architecture.

Stop 4

Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion – elite late-Ottoman domestic life.

Stop 5

Clock Tower and Kasr-ı Hümayun – imperial İzmit.

Optional Finish

SEKA Paper Museum – twentieth-century industrial heritage.

A Short Museum Visit or Part of a Full Historic-City Walk

How Much Time Do You Need at Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion?

20–30 Minutes

Enough for a quick visit through the principal rooms and garden.

45–60 Minutes

Recommended for most visitors who want to appreciate the architecture and decoration properly.

60–90 Minutes

Ideal for architecture, photography and Ottoman-history enthusiasts.

Half Day

Combine the mansion with Kapanca Street, Orhan Mosque and İzmit Clock Tower.

Full Day

Add the Archaeology Museum, Kasr-ı Hümayun, Pertev Pasha Mosque and SEKA Paper Museum.

Best Pace

Leave additional time for walking because historic İzmit is considerably steeper than the waterfront.

Build a Complete Historic İzmit Day

Places to Visit Near Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

The mansion is surrounded by some of the most historically interesting parts of İzmit, making it easy to combine with architecture from several different periods.

Use our complete Kocaeli travel guide to continue exploring the wider province.

Kapanca Street

Historic houses, fountains and steep lanes preserving the atmosphere of traditional İzmit.

İzmit Clock Tower

The city's iconic late-Ottoman landmark overlooking the Gulf.

Kasr-ı Hümayun

A nineteenth-century Ottoman imperial residence in the lower historic city.

Orhan Mosque

Travel back more than five centuries from the Pasha's mansion to the early Ottoman conquest period.

Kocaeli Archaeology Museum

Discover the Roman and Byzantine world of ancient Nicomedia.

Pertev Pasha Mosque

See Mimar Sinan's classical Ottoman architecture in central İzmit.

SEKA Paper Museum

Explore the industrial transformation of twentieth-century İzmit.

Kocaeli Travel Guide

Continue toward Gebze, Hereke, Kartepe, Kandıra and destinations throughout the province.

Where Architecture Becomes a Personal Story

The Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion Experience

İzmit is usually introduced through ancient Nicomedia, Ottoman mosques or modern industrial history. Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion reveals something more intimate: how an important Ottoman household actually occupied the city.

Walk uphill through the traditional neighbourhood and the position of the mansion begins to make sense. The commercial city lies below, while the slopes open toward the Gulf. This was a residence designed not simply for shelter, but for status, hospitality, privacy and views.

Inside, the experience changes again. Painted flowers climb across walls. Landscape scenes open imaginary windows onto distant places. Gold details catch the light. Rooms separate public ceremony from private family life, while the cihannüma crowns the house above them.

Then comes another layer: the ancient stones reused around the property, the fire that nearly destroyed the mansion, and the extensive restoration that allowed visitors to walk through it again.

Together, these details make Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion one of the strongest places in Kocaeli for understanding the human side of late-Ottoman İzmit.

Best experience: Visit the painted rooms slowly, look carefully at the ceilings, step into the garden and consider the Gulf view that shaped the original design. Then continue through Kapanca Street toward İzmit Clock Tower and Kasr-ı Hümayun for a complete late-Ottoman city walk.

Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion İzmit – Ottoman House & Visitor Guide

Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion – A Window into Late-Ottoman İzmit

Built in 1891–1892

Designed by the Pasha

Painted Interiors

Gulf View

Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion – Quick Facts

Location

Construction

Built For

Architecture

Known For

Admission

Why Is Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion Important?

Who Was Selim Sırrı Pasha?

1851–1924

Engineer

Mutasarrıf

Architectural Legacy

When Was Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion Built?

Architecture of Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

Wooden Frame

Four Levels

İç Sofa

Haremlik & Selamlık

Haremlik and Selamlık at Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

The Cihannüma and Gulf of İzmit View

Upper Viewing Level

Gulf Orientation

Light & Air

Status

The Painted Interiors of Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

Kalem İşi

Landscape Painting

Floral Motifs

Geometric Ornament

Gold Details

Dolmabahçe Tradition

Ancient Stones at Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

Life Inside an Ottoman Pasha's Mansion

The 2002 Fire at Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

The Restoration of Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

2002

2007

2009

2011

2012

Today

What Should You See at Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion?

Main Façade

Painted Ceilings

Landscape Paintings

Kalem İşi

Haremlik

Selamlık

Cihannüma

Garden Walls

Gulf View

Museum Displays

Photography at Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

Exterior

Painted Rooms

Ceiling Details

Garden

Historic Streets

Ask Before Flash

Visiting Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion with Children

Accessibility at Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

Steep District

Historic Stairs

Taxi Recommended

Check in Advance

Practical Tips for Visiting Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion

Look Up

Allow 45 Minutes

See the Garden

Wear Comfortable Shoes

Visit on a Clear Day

Monday Closed

No Food Inside