Tayyare Apartments, building complex in Istanbul, Turkey
The Tayyare Apartments is a hotel complex in Istanbul's Fatih district, built after a fire in 1918 destroyed many homes in the neighborhood. Designed by architect Kemaleddin Bey between 1918 and 1922, it was among Turkey's first reinforced concrete buildings, with four blocks containing 124 units arranged around shared courtyards.
The building arose after a major fire in 1918 destroyed the neighborhood and left people homeless. Architect Kemaleddin Bey designed it as new housing for those affected, and from 1922 until 1985 it served as apartments with shops on the ground floor and families living above.
The name Tayyare means airplane in Turkish and references the Turkish Aviation League. The buildings reflect early 20th-century Turkish architecture and show how the community rebuilt itself after a major disaster.
The hotel sits in a lively neighborhood with easy access to nearby mosques, markets, and museums. Its location offers good connections to public transport, making it simple to reach other parts of Istanbul.
The building was among the first in Turkey to be constructed with reinforced concrete, a relatively new technique at the time. This early adoption of concrete made it possible to create a stable design that has survived until today.
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