Osman Hamdi Bey House and Museum

The Osman Hamdi Bey House and Museum is a structure named after Osman Hamdi Bey (1842–1910), associated with his life artistic works and cultural activities. Located in the Eskihisar Neighborhood of Gebze District in Kocaeli Province, the building is situated on a sloping terrain overlooking the sea and forms a settlement that integrates natural and historical elements together with the surrounding greenery.

^{Osman Hamdi Bey House (}Subgovernorship of Gebze, Republic of Türkiye⁾

The villa, constructed in 1884 under the direction of Osman Hamdi Bey, was designed according to his own plans. The two-story building comprises the main structure along with a painting studio a boathouse and auxiliary facilities. It is known that some materials used in certain parts of the structure were imported from abroad, reflecting the architectural and technical approaches of the period. Floral decorations drawn by Osman Hamdi Bey between 1901 and 1903 on wooden doors are among the examples illustrating his interest in plastic arts. These decorations are now regarded as paintings.

Osman Hamdi Bey spent 26 summers in this villa. He created several of his paintings including “The Turtle Trainer” “The Quran Reciter” “The Petition Writer” and “Woman with Mimosa” in this space. The villa also served as a residence during periods when the artist lived there with his family.

^{Osman Hamdi Bey House and Museum (}

After Osman Hamdi Bey’s death the villa continued to serve various functions. During World War I it was assigned as a headquarters command post; in this period İsmet İnönü stayed in the building for several days before departing to join the War of Independence. It is known that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk visited the structure in 1933. In 1945 a fire in the painting studio caused significant damage to the wooden upper floor. The building was officially registered for protection in 1966 and nationalized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 1982. As part of restoration work initiated in 1985 the main building auxiliary structures and garden were repaired in accordance with the original features of the structure.

^{Osman Hamdi Bey House (}

Following the completion of restoration work the structure was opened to the public in 1987 as the “Osman Hamdi Bey Museum.” The museum displays objects used by Osman Hamdi Bey family photographs various paintings and furniture painted by the artist himself. These items provide visual and material sources relating to the era in which the artist lived. As of 2021 the building has been assigned to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Comprehensive restoration along with exhibition and arrangement projects have been planned and as a result the museum is temporarily closed to visitors.