The 250-year-old khan (an inn for travelers, built around a central courtyard in the Middle East), located in Istanbul’s Beyoglu district, will be restored by the metropolis municipality and the Bahcesehir Ugur educational foundation.
After the restoration, the inn “St. Peter” will be turned into a cultural and artistic center.
“I first saw the inn about 13 years ago and did a lot, trying to keep the building in its former glory,” said Enver Ussel, head of the foundation that will sponsor the project.
The authentic St. Peter’s Inn was home to various businesses. It will now be home to the Bahçeşehir University Conservatory, ”the university’s website said.
The mayor of Istanbul Imamoglu announced that in the project, an area of about 2,500 sq.m. from the inn will be set aside for temporary and permanent exhibition halls, a library and premises for cultural events organized by the large municipality of Istanbul.
The inn was originally built in 1732 in the Beyoglu district. In 1762, the Frenchman Andre Chenier, known as the “father of French romantic poetry”, was born here.
The building was burned down in 1770 and by order of the then French consulate, the inn was erected in 1771 in its present form, being extended to face the prestigious Bancalar Jadesi (Bank Street).
Hahn Saint Pierre hosted French merchants and diplomats over the years, and in 1863 was the seat of the Ottoman Bank.
In this inn, consulates and offices were located. The Chamber of Architects in Istanbul was founded here for the first time. The building contains parts of an older building dating back to the 14th century. The structure is a testament to Istanbul’s cosmopolitanism.
This is a 3-storey building with 66 offices, which in recent years has been neglected and half-destroyed, as it was used for production workshops.
Architect Seda Ozer Bilgili, responsible for the restoration of the building, noted that the structure surprised the restorers with Ottoman and Baroque architectural details and frescoes on the walls, which have been preserved under the available layers of paint.
Photo: Khan “St. Peter” (AA)
