Stoa of Basilica Cistern Entrance Street (Soğukçeşme Sokağı)

Soğukçeşme Sokağı is a cobblestone lane in Istanbul framed by Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace, famous for its pastel-colored, reconstructed 19th-century Ottoman wooden mansions. Purchased and restored in 1985 by preservationist Çelik Gülersoy, the street includes the 1903 birthplace of Turkey's sixth president, Fahri Korutürk. One building houses the Istanbul Library, established after Gülersoy's 2003 death, containing over 10,000 books on city history.

Istanbul · from the walk “Sultans, Spices & Hidden Streets” · audio ~3 min · Generated

Soğukçeşme Sokağı, Sultanahmet, Fatih, İstanbul

Who restored the historic Ottoman houses on Soğukçeşme Sokağı in Istanbul?

Take a breath... and step onto these cobblestones. You are now walking along Soğukçeşme Sokağı... the Street of the Cold Fountain. To your left, the mighty walls of Ayasofya. To your right, the ancient fortifications of Topkapı Palace. And somehow, squeezed between these two giants of history... a tiny lane of painted wooden houses has survived for over two hundred years.......... How did a narrow street of fragile wooden buildings outlive the earthquakes, fires, and demolitions that flattened most of old Istanbul? The answer lies with one extraordinary man.......... By the nineteen eighties, this street was barely recognizable. The old Ottoman houses had crumbled or been replaced by concrete shacks. The ancient Byzantine cistern at the end of the lane... was being used as an automobile repair shop! Imagine... a sixteen hundred year old Roman water chamber, filled with engine oil and spare tires.......... Then along came Chelik Gülersoy. A lawyer, self-taught historian, and relentless preservationist who ran the Turkish Touring and Automobile Association. In nineteen eighty five, he purchased the derelict buildings and launched a two year restoration. But here is where it gets controversial. He actually demolished most of the crumbling structures and rebuilt them as re-creations of the original Ottoman houses. Istanbul's newspapers erupted. Critics called it a Disney-style architectural theme park! Supporters said he saved the soul of the street. The debate raged on... but today, these pastel colored facades of yellow, green, and light blue are among the most photographed scenes in the city.......... And here is a detail most visitors walk right past. One of these houses is the birthplace of Fahri Korutürk, born here in nineteen oh three. He went on to become Turkey's sixth president... an admiral, a diplomat, and the man whose very surname was given to him personally by Atastürk. It means "protector Turk."

...... Now look closely at the houses. Each one bears the name of a flower. Jasmine House. Wisteria House. Honeysuckle House. Inside, they are furnished with silk curtains, velvet armchairs, and gilded mirrors... a time capsule of nineteenth century Ottoman elegance.......... And do not miss the Istanbul Library tucked inside one of these buildings. It holds over ten thousand books devoted entirely to the history of this one city... founded by the Chelik Gülersoy Foundation after his death in two thousand and three. A man who dedicated his life to making sure Istanbul never forgot itself.

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