‘Haunted’ mansion of Istanbul sells for $24.7 million

Ragip Pasa Mansion, known by locals as ‘The Haunted Mansion’ for the state of decay it finds itself, was sold by a major Turkish lender for 449.3 million Turkish Lira, $24.7 million at the time of sale.

The sale of Ragip Pasa mansion

The home was sold in Istanbul by a public tender due to the mansion’s previous owner’s unpaid debts. This led to sale of the mansion being approved by the courts in Istanbul’s Kadikoy district. However, it was reported by many media outlets that the lawyers of the previous owner were filing an appeal on their behalf against the sale of the property.

The mansion

The mansion is 116 years old and located on the Asian side of Istanbul in Caddebostan which is situated in Kadikoy district. The mansion stands three-stories in the posh neighbourhood and was sold for a much higher price than would be paid for the newer, better-looking mansions situated on the waterfront on the banks of the Bosphorus.

Decaying and run down

After being sat vacant for years, the mansion’s facade is in desperate need of restoration, but many experts have said that if it is restored, it will earn back its fame as ‘Little Dolmabahce’, named from the splendid Ottoman-era palace on Istanbul’s European side.

The mansion was originally constructed in 1906. At the time, the mansion had a sprawling gardens of 23 acres, and was one of the landmarks of Kadikoy district of Istanbul.

Inside the mansion

The mansion covers a total area of 29,065 square feet (2,700 square metres), and comes complete with a basement and penthouse, in addition to the main three floors. As an incredible example of architecture from the late Ottoman period, the haunted mansion is also famous for the exquisite ornamental interior and exterior motifs and paintings situated on the ceiling.

A further highlight is the golden leaves which are seen to adorn the ceilings and fixtures. These are made of melted gold. Since Ragip Pasha’s death in 1920, the mansion has changed hands a number of times.