Iplikciyan Mansion

Introduction

Situated in the centre of Bornova, the İplikçiyan Mansion is one of the restrained yet monumental examples of late 19th-century Levantine architecture.

Built in 1895, the mansion belonged to Arthur İplikçiyan, one of the leading Armenian-origin businessmen of the period, and his family.

The building was used as the family residence during the period when social life in Bornova was at its most active, and shared a similar character with other Levantine mansions in the district.

Military Period (1922–2013)

Following the liberation of İzmir, the mansion began to be used as a headquarters by the Turkish Army.

For approximately ninety years it served under the name Emin Arı Barracks as a military training and administrative building.

During this period various annexes were added to the building and the garden was reshaped to suit military use.

Present Condition

In 2013 the barracks ceased operations and the building remained in the ownership of the Ministry of National Defence.

As of 2025 the mansion and its surrounding area stand vacant.

The conservation and repurposing of the building for a cultural-heritage function is of great importance for Bornova's Levantine heritage.

Architectural Features

• Plan: Two-storey, central-hall plan.
• Materials: Stone ground floor, brick upper storey.
• Façade: Symmetrical arrangement, rectangular windows, plain pediment.

Garden: A broad open area, altered in the past owing to military arrangements.