Borusan Contemporary


Housed in an eccentric-looking turreted building known locally as the Perili Köşk (Haunted Mansion), this cultural centre tucked under the western approach of the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge is home to the contemporary art collection owned by Borusan Holding, a local steel, energy and logistics conglomerate. The centre hosts a multi-platform program of art exhibitions, events and site-specific installations, with a particular focus on digital and video arts. It also has a cafe with magnificent Bosphorus views.

Properly referred to as the Yusuf Ziya Pasha mansion, the building's construction kicked off around 1910 but was halted in 1914 when the Ottoman Empire was drawn into WWI and all of its construction workers were forced to quit their jobs and enlist in the army. Work on the 10-storey building came to a standstill and it remained empty, leading to its 'Haunted Mansion' tag. Eighty years later, work finally resumed and the finished building became the home of Borusan Holding.


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