Paterson Mansion

Introduction

The Paterson Mansion is one of the largest and most magnificent residences representing the Levantine era of Bornova and İzmir. The mansion was commissioned by the grain merchant John Bortwick Paterson, who came from Leith, Scotland, to İzmir; construction began in 1859 and was completed around 1860.

The mining concessions Paterson obtained from the Ottoman State and his commercial activities with Britain made the family one of the wealthiest Levantines in the region.

History and Family Life

Levantine period:
At the time of the mansion's construction, the Paterson family stood at the centre of Bornova's social life.

• Balls, concerts and grand receptions were held in the 38-room residence.
• The grounds contained a golf course; golf was played here long before the official Bornova Golf Club was founded in 1905.
• The presence of seven pianos on the property testifies to the rich musical culture of the period.

War of Independence period:
John Paterson and his family left İzmir during the war and settled in Crete. On their return they found the mansion undamaged, but were unable to recapture their former success under the commercial conditions of the Republican era.

Republican period

• The Paterson family left Turkey in 1963 and emigrated to Britain.
• The mansion was subsequently used for nearly five years as a NATO unit office.
• In 1973 it was partially demolished by a company intending to convert it into a carpet factory.
• In 1978 it was compulsorily purchased by the İzmir Provincial Administration Supreme Council of Monuments.

During this period the mansion remained for many years in a semi-ruined, derelict state awaiting intervention.

Architectural Features

• A monumental, three-storey residence with 38 rooms.
• Built with materials imported from Britain.
• A central-hall plan offering a Levantine-Ottoman composite arrangement of spacious salons and high ceilings.
• The façade was altered more than seven times owing to Paterson's enthusiasm for innovation.
• On the western side of the building stood stables where racehorses were bred; the mansion is therefore associated with the theme of "Horse Racing."

The land on which the mansion stood comprised approximately 54 dönüm; half was used for stables and training grounds for horse breeding.

20th-Century Uses and Restoration Process

• After the 1960s the building deteriorated rapidly; although the musical instruments and furnishings within were preserved until the 1970s, they subsequently disappeared.
• In 2016 a comprehensive restoration project was initiated by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality.
• However, works were later halted and management of the mansion was transferred to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Today the repurposing and restoration of the mansion are dependent on the Ministry's planning.

Cultural and Historical Significance

The Paterson Mansion is one of the landmark buildings representing the most brilliant period of Levantine life in Bornova:

• One of the earliest golf grounds in İzmir,
• One of the strongest centres of musical culture,
• A grand Levantine estate where horse breeding and social events took place,
• A witness to İzmir's early industrialisation and military-period transitions.

Today the mansion is a building of critical importance both for cultural heritage and for conservation policy.