Still impressive among the best kept of the empire-style mansions, Sait Halim Pasha Mansion at Yeniköy, also known as the “Mansion of the Lions” stands as a memorial to late Ottoman taste.
The mansion was built in the last quarter of the 19th century by the architect-craftsman Petraki Adamandidis from Çanakkale. The exterior of the mansion reflects the Westernization movement prevalent in Ottoman architecture of the period, showcasing the Empire style. The interior decoration features an eclectic style, blending 19th-century Western aesthetics with Ottoman art.
The mansion is constructed over a marble floor in two stories. Its location set back from the sea and built upon the terrace, the architectural design and volume of the building, the absence of protrusions (bay windows), and the neo-classical (Empire) style of the facade and windows are architectural innovations of the period in which the mansion was built. The southern part of the mansion was designated as the Selamlique, while the northern part was arranged as the Harem, with both sections planned under the same roof. There are doors leading to both the Harem and Selamlique on the seafront terrace.
Due to the two lion statues in front of the gate leading to Clement’s Garden, the mansion is also known as the "Mansion of the Lions." Regarding these lion statues, Yeniköy resident Nubar Horanyan provides the following information: "When Sait Halim Pasha donned his sword, the first lion statue was gifted from Italy; the second lion statue, was sent as a gift from Germany."
(Prof. Feridun Akozan, Said Halim Pasha)
The mansion was built within a large garden by the seaside. At the northern end of the garden, there was a seaside bath that could be accessed from three directions. The Selamlique garden had a boathouse. The grove belonging to the mansion, located at the upper part of the road, was connected to the upper floor of the mansion through a lattice bridge that crossed the road below. These bridges were demolished in 1958 during the road widening, along with other expropriations.
(Erdenen, Boğaziçi Sahilhaneleri)
The building is designed in the traditional Bosphorus mansion style, consisting of rooms arranged around a central hall. After the repairs commissioned by Sait Halim Pasha, the central hall was transformed into a staircase foyer. The eclectic style of the mansion's interior decoration is clearly evident.
Richly adorned with gilded decorations, the interior featured plaster coatings, reliefs, mother-of-pearl inlaid woodwork, floral geometric patterns, inscriptions, and paintings, all used in harmony. Ottoman, Egyptian, and Louis XVI-style furniture, along with Murano chandeliers, completed the decor.
Moreover, sources indicate that works by famous painters such as Alexandre, Berrchere, Clément, Crapalet, Dalpy, Henery, Leray, Roullet, and Valery, as well as writings by Mahmut Celaleddin, Kazasker Mustafa İzzet Efendi, and Hafız Osman, Kütahya tiles, bronze sculptures, and various Ottoman-Iranian carpets were also found in this mansion.
(Erdenen, Boğaziçi Sahilhaneleri)