Pre
PostExterior Facade
The building's integrity was restored through plastering, painting, stonework, joinery, and landscaping applications.
Completed Project
Restoration of Orhaniye Barracks Mosque and Hünkâr Chamber
The restoration of the Orhaniye Barracks Mosque encompassed the holistic preservation of the mosque, the Sultan's Chamber, the dome, the minaret, the supporting system, the decorative paintings, and the wooden, stone, and metal elements.
Employer
Istanbul Governorship Investment Monitoring and Coordination Directorate
Location
Mecidiye Neighborhood, Beşiktaş, Istanbul
Type of Job
Restoration, Strengthening and Conservation
Period
2017–2020
Situation
Completed
Historical and Architectural Value
Within 19th-century Ottoman military architecture, the mosque stands out as a holistic structure with its Sultan's Apartments and rich decorative program.
Built during the reign of Abdul Hamid II within the Orhaniye Barracks and dedicated to Orhan Gazi, the structure is a three-story mosque with a basement, ground floor, and mezzanine, featuring a single dome and a single minaret.
The main prayer hall, approximately 225 m² in size, stands out within the barracks with its dome measuring 11.45 meters in diameter and an interior height exceeding 16 meters. The Sultan's Apartments, approximately 200 m² in size, feature a unique sequence of spaces that reinforce the ceremonial and representative character of the building.
The hybrid load-bearing system, consisting of masonry walls, timber frame partitions, timber floors, and metal fittings, has been examined in detail in accordance with approved projects and reports.
The project is a high-quality example from Taksim Yapı, bringing together structural reinforcement, artwork conservation, minaret restoration, and wood, stone, metal, and decorative painting applications in a single process.
Pre-implementation Status
Deterioration, unauthorized interventions, and material losses were documented with detailed due diligence reports.
The survey and condition assessment revealed plaster and paint losses on the facades, cracks and erosion in the minaret stones, newly added partitions in the basement, moisture and plaster losses in the Sultan's Apartments, decay in wooden elements, corrosion in metal components, and deterioration in painted surfaces due to previous interventions.
Restoration decisions were made by evaluating pre-implementation photo albums, research scrapings, approved project documents, and technical reports together.
PrePost
PrePostHarem
The penmanship, marble, wood, and metal elements were restored while preserving their original character.
Pre
PostDome
The ornamentation program was brought back to life through scraping, plaster filling, penwork, and gold leaf applications.
Pre
PostThe Sultan's Chamber
Original decorations were reinforced, and missing areas were completed according to approved restoration decisions.
Pre
PostWooden Staircase
The original wood grain was preserved through cleaning, repairs, completion of missing parts, and protective treatments.
Pre
PostInterior Decorations
Ceiling paintings, gold leaf, and decorated surfaces were treated according to conservation principles.
Structural Systems and Technical Interventions
The masonry walls, dome supports, wooden floors, metal tension rods, and minaret were all considered together.
The building's masonry walls, dome supports, wooden floors, columns, and metal tension rods were examined individually. Corroded metal elements were cleaned or replaced with stainless steel; reinforcement details were applied to ensure the walls functioned together.
The damaged upper section of the approximately 23-meter-high minaret, constructed from tufa stone, was dismantled in a controlled manner. The stones and connecting elements were rearranged according to structural calculations; missing stones were replaced, and the mortise and tenon joint system was renewed.
Dome and Drum
The dome ribs, drum moldings, arches, and connecting areas were repaired and reinforced.
Assembly Hall and Metal Elements
Cleaning, protection, completion of missing parts, and stainless steel reinforcement applications were carried out on the metal components.
Wooden Carriers
Mechanical cleaning, repair, and completion of missing parts were carried out on wooden beams, posts, stairs, ceilings, and floors.
Implemented Practices
Restoration, strengthening, and conservation works were carried out simultaneously and in a controlled manner.
The practices documented in the site work reports encompass a wide range of expertise, from surface investigations and structural interventions to stone finishing, gold leafing, and wood conservation.
All interventions were carried out based on the principle of preserving the original material and implementing new additions in a manner that is compatible with the historical fabric, legible, and reversible.
- Removal of newly constructed walls and unsuitable additions.
- Plaster repairs on masonry walls in accordance with the original mortar characteristics.
- Stainless steel tensioning and metal reinforcement applications.
- Repairs to the dome, drum, arches and moldings.
- Controlled dismantling and reconstruction of the damaged upper section of the minaret.
- Cleaning, finishing and strengthening of tufa stone surfaces.
- Conservation of wooden doors, windows, flooring, stairs, and ceilings.
- Restoration of decayed wooden elements to match the original materials and cross-sections.
- Scraping, strengthening, restoration, and retouching on painted surfaces.
- Gold leaf is used on the dome stars, profiles, and selected decorations.
- Reproduction of embroidered custom surfaces using silicone and polyester molds.
- Cleaning, preservation, and restoration of missing parts in metal ornamentation.
- Renovation of the roof, lead covering, tiles, and rainwater drainage systems.
- The electrical and heating systems are arranged in a way that is compatible with the historical architecture.
Calligraphy and Artwork Conservation
Decorative layers from different periods were separated using research scraping techniques, and the original surfaces were preserved and restored.
The decorative layers from different periods found in the dome, drum, sanctuary walls, last congregation area, and the Sultan's Chamber were identified through research scraping.
Original surfaces were reinforced; missing areas were completed according to approved restitution and restoration decisions. The dome's star composition on a blue background, the calligraphic bands, the penwork profiles, the ceiling paintings, and the gold leaf decorations of the Sultan's Chamber were handled by expert teams.
The Sultan's Chambers and Woodwork
The wooden elements, ceiling decorations, doors, and passageways were completed while preserving their original characteristics.
In the Sultan's Chamber, plaster and ornamentation conservation was carried out against humidity and surface deterioration; wooden ceilings, doors, frames, stairs, and floors were repaired in a controlled manner.
Decayed timbers were replaced with materials and profiles that matched the original, and door and window elements were cleaned, repaired, and finished with protective treatments.
Conclusion
The Orhaniye Barracks Mosque and the Sultan's Apartments have been restored and brought back into use while preserving their architectural and artistic integrity.
The building's structural system, dome, minaret, decorative painting program, and wood, stone, and metal details were all considered together during the restoration.
This project is one of Taksim Yapı's significant references, demonstrating its ability to manage structural reinforcement, artwork conservation, minaret repair, and wood and decorative painting restoration within the same organization.
Restoration, strengthening, and conservation of works of art in historical buildings.
Taksim Yapı addresses conservation principles, technical requirements, specialized manufacturing, and site management in the construction of cultural heritage sites.
A holistic project discipline in restoration, conservation, and strengthening applications.
Taksim Yapı handles research, documentation, board coordination, field implementation, and technical management processes together in cultural heritage and high-quality construction projects.
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