Three Architectural Sisters of Kadikoy | Hal binası, Şehremaneti and İskele

Pictured Fire Department use during 1933

Mavi Boncuk | 

Hal binası

Hal binası was built by the Italian architect Umberto Ferrari between 1925 and 1927 with financing secured from from France as a central market for fruit and vegetable wholesalers. Over time, many unplanned additions were made to the building, and it was also used as a fire station, scrap vehicle warehouse and municipal offices. It also hosts the Istanbul University State Conservatory since 1986 and the Istanbul City Theater Haldun Taner Stage since 1989.

Şehremaneti 

With the Teşkil-i Vilayet Regulation issued in 1864, Istanbul became a province. Then, the Administration-i Belediye Nizamnamesi, which was enacted in 1869, ensured the organization of municipalities and created Offices equivalent to today's district municipalities. Kadıköy became the 13th Municipal district.

Osman Hamdi Bey was the first city of Kadıköy in 1875. At the rally held to protest the Greek army's departure to İzmir in 1919, Halide Edip Adıvar and other important people addressed the public from the balcony of the Kadıköy Şehremaneti Building.

In 1924, the entire Anatolian side was made into Üsküdar province, and in 1926 it was a district of Istanbul. In 1930, Kadıköy was separated from Üsküdar and became a separate district. It is known that the Şehremaneti Building has been used as the residence of the Municipality, District Governorate, Government Doctor, Marriage Office and even the District Governor since that date. The Yeldeğirmeni side of the Ground Floor was the District Governor's Residence, and the large hall at the front of the Upper Floor was the wedding suite.

The Şehremaneti Building was first built on the square, which was filled from the sea in 1912-1914. Its architect is Yervant Terziyan of Armenian origin. It is in neo-classical style and is considered as one of the examples of the 1st National Architecture Period. The building, which appears to have 2 floors, has 1 basement, 1 ground floor and 1 normal floor. It has a door at the front, at the back and at the Yeldeğirmeni side. The place where the building was established and called Kumluk. Since the building was built on an area filled from the sea, it was not considered higher than two floors.

Both the pier building (Beşiktaş ferry port) and the Istanbul Şehremaneti Branch building were built on this land.

The pointed arches of the building, tile coverings on the façade, columns in the form of pillars and weight towers, and eaves are among the most important structural and decorative elements reflecting the architectural style of the period.

The building, which witnessed many historical events, is among the most important works of the First National Architecture Period.

The historical building, which was used as Kadıköy District Governor's Office for a while and then as Kadıköy Municipality, was renovated in 1995 in accordance with the restoration project approved by the Cultural Heritage and Monuments Board. After the Kadıköy Municipality moved to the main building in Söğütlüçeşme, it hosted city council meetings for a short period of time.

The building, which has a history of more than 100 years, was finally reopened to the public in March 2014 as the 'Kadıköy History, Literature and Art Library' (TESAK).

Kadıköy Şehremaneti | Prefecture de Kadikeuy, S. Saatdjian. Arch: Yervant Terziyan [*] 1912-14.

[*] Yervant Terzian was the assistant of architect Giulio Mongeri between the years 1911-1917 at the Fine Arts Academy | Sanayii nefise mektebi. He was also the architect of Fatih prefecture building.

Other Armenian Architects of historic Istanbul buildings:  Süreyya Cinema (Kegam Kavafyan), Kasımpaşa Naval Hospital (Aram Taşçıyan), Sadberk Hanım Museum (Andon Kazasyan), Old Darrüşafaka High School. (Ohannes Kalfa)

İskele

"The first ferry to Kadıköy started to be operated in 1846. The first pier is III. It was in front of the Mustafa Mosque. (This mosque is known as the Iskele Mosque today.) 

Since it was decided that the excavations of Haydarpaşa Train Station would be poured into the sea in Kadıköy, a new pier was needed as the existing pier would remain in the middle of the square. In the early 1900s, the construction of a new pier was started in the area where today's Kadıköy-Karaköy Pier is located. 

In this wood pier, ships had difficulty berthing when the southerly wind blew. In addition, due to the fact that it did not respond to the increasing passenger demand, it lost its functionality and only the ships that made the Kadıköy-Adalar voyage started to depart from this pier. 

In 1950, the pier was overhauled, and a ramp was built next to the pier for the car ferry to dock. On April 10, 1950, Kadıköy-Sirkeci Car Ferry services started. 

These trips continued until May 1966, when the Harem Pier was opened. With the departure of the car ferry services, new voyages were organized between Kadıköy and Eminönü, three in the morning and three in the evening, as well as the Kadıköy-Adalar trips. This pier was demolished in 1979 to build the pier that is used today that makes the Kadıköy-Karaköy voyages. 

The Adalar-Kadıköy trips and Eminönü-Kadıköy voyages made from here were transferred to the pier built in 1926. The pier, built in 1926 opposite the Old Kadıköy Municipality Building, is one of the most famous of the piers built in architectural style and masonry. Its architect was Vedat Tek[1]. The Kütahya tile coverings on the second floor of the pier building, which has survived and are still in use, belong to the 20th century and are valuable documents of Turkish tile art. With the closure of Kadıköy Adalar pier, Adalar and Kadıköy-Eminönü expeditions started to be made from this pier. 

With the opening of Kadıköy-Karaköytrips on October 8, 1982, this pier was allocated to the ferries going to Adalar and Yalova. However, due to the density that occurred at the new pier, Kadıköy-Eminönü expeditions started to be made from this pier after a very short time. Kadıköy-Adalar, Kadıköy-Beşiktaş voyages are made at this pier, which worked intensively from 1926 to 1982.”  Ali Bozoğlu\

 [1] Mehmet Vedat Tek (1873, Istanbul - 1942, Istanbul), Turkish architect. He is known for his works in the early 20th century and is one of the two leading figures of the First National Architecture Movement, together with Architect Kemalettin Bey.

He is known as Turkey's first formally educated Turkish architect. From the Sirkeci Great Post Office to the Second Parliament building and Ankara Palas in Ankara; From Kastamonu Government House to Haydarpaşa Ferry Terminal, it has signed many important structures in the last period of the Ottoman Empire and the first years of the Republic. He is one of the first Turkish teachers of Sanayi Nefise Mektebi. He is the son of poet and composer Leyla Saz Hanım, and the uncle of former minister İsmail Hakkı Arar.  SEE: 

Vedat Tek Buildings