Büyük Abud Efendi Han, Commercial architectural structure in Mahmutpasa district, Istanbul, Turkey
The Büyük Abud Efendi Han is a four-story commercial building in the Mahmutpasa district with three facades that blend glass and metal materials throughout its structure. Wide hallways and iron-worked staircases connect the floors, reflecting the construction methods popular during its era.
The structure was built in 1895 and stands among Istanbul's first modern buildings, with inscriptions in Ottoman Turkish and French above two of its entrances. These dual-language inscriptions reflect how important international trade and communication had become to the city.
The building reflects how Istanbul's merchant culture shifted in the late 1800s, with modern spaces designed for traders and craftspeople instead of traditional workshops. Visitors can still see the wide corridors and open staircases that show how people worked and displayed their goods together.
The building sits at the intersection of Tarakcilar Street and Mahmutpasa Hill, with its main entrance facing the Mahmutpasa slope. You can locate it easily by looking for the wide street frontage and solid entrance while navigating this traditional trading area.
The building keeps its original hotel-like rooms, which show how merchants once lived there temporarily while conducting their business dealings. It also served as a filming location for the Turkish comedy film Yoksul, making it recognizable to film enthusiasts from local cinema history.
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