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All Turkey Istanbul Vedat Tek House

Vedat Tek House

The eclectic home of a leading Turkish architect is a gorgeous piece of eye candy.

Istanbul, Turkey

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umutable
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Vedat Tek House.   umutable / Atlas Obscura User
Vedat Tek House.   umutable / Atlas Obscura User
Vedat Tek House.   Lambiam
Vedat Tek House.   umutable / Atlas Obscura User
Vedat Tek House.   umutable / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
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  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
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About

While strolling through the streets of Istanbul, you'd be hard-pressed to miss this gorgeous house. Its odd, yet pleasing, hodgepodge of different styles gives the structure a look you won't find elsewhere on the block.

Built between 1913 and 1914 in an eclectic style, the building was named after its creator, who happened to be one of the major Turkish architects of the 20th century. Vedat Tek was one of the leading forces behind the First Turkish National Architectural Movement. The movement, which began in the early years of the Republic of Turkey, aimed to create a new form of national architecture that drew upon Seljuk and Ottoman styles.

Vedat Tek’s work is scattered throughout Istanbul and beyond. He’s the mastermind behind iconic buildings like the Istanbul Main Post Office and the Kastamonu Governor's Office. But he didn’t save his architectural flair for big-budget projects. Even the house he built for his family is a gorgeous piece of architectural eye candy.

Asymmetrical in design, his family home is recognisable from afar. With its motifs of classical Turkish ornamentation and a touch of Western influence, it can be said to embrace the East and the West in equal measure, making for an aesthetically pleasing mishmash of both architecture and culture. Intricate patterns, geometric cutouts, and little pops of brilliant turquoise pigment make the building a definite stunner.

In 1950, one of Vedat Tek’s son-in-laws transformed the house into a meyhane (pub). It’s still open today, letting people wine and dine within the former home of one of Turkey’s architectural greats.

Related Tags

Architectural Oddities Architecture Restaurants

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A 10 to 15 minute walk from Taksim Square, the building can also be reached by bus from the same direction.

Community Contributors

Added By

umutable

Edited By

Kerry Wolfe, Collector of Experiences

  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Collector of Experiences

Published

March 2, 2018

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Sources
  • https://books.google.com/books?id=uy9iZ89_F90C&pg=PT112&lpg=PT112&dq=Vedat+Tek+House+istanbul&source=bl&ots=oGAhQUxjGR&sig=cU8tCJEK_YUOJCrIvhKvrebwScY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiB0fHIg8zZAhWhmuAKHaS-Agc4ChDoAQg5MAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false
  • http://sislihayat.com/vedat-tekin-konagi/
  • https://onedio.com/haber/cumhuriyetin-onemli-mimarlarindan-vedat-tek-ve-eseri-435067
  • http://veryturkey.com/destination-info/istanbul/vedat-tek-konagi-or-house-istanbul
Vedat Tek House
Halaskargazi Mah
Vali Konağı Cd. 39/1
Istanbul
Turkey
41.050401, 28.989358
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

Bar at Biz Istanbul

Istanbul, Turkey

miles away

Taksim Mosque

Istanbul, Turkey

miles away

The Museum of Innocence

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Istanbul

Istanbul

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Bar at Biz Istanbul

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Photo of Istanbul

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