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The Restoration Project of Paris L'Union
This
Ottoman house is located in a quaint old neighborhood of Istanbul in the
historic district, not far from the Blue Mosque. It is a fine example
of late Ottoman period French architecture.
Rina and Suleyman Tirasoglu purchased the house in June of 2000 and began
the restoration. They named the house "Paris L'Union" which
was stamped on an old metal plate above the entrance. Paris L'Union now
serves as the office of Insight Travel.
The
house, which was constructed in the latter part of the 19th century, has
two stories, and a basement. The ground floor is constructed of brick
and the upper floor of wood. The foundations of the house actually rest
upon remains of an ancient Byzantine palace.
with
special Turkish tiles called "karo" which are made by hand in
a mold. The design is 'fleur de lis' with an ivy border. Once typical to
these old houses, the art of making "karo" has almost died out.Plaster was removed from the walls to expose the old brick and arched cupboard niches. Stained glass with tulip design ornament the windows of inner doors. The bathrooms were redone with fine Canakkale tiles in blue and white. There are two bathrooms, one on the upper floor, and one on the lower.
A wooden spiral staircase leads upstairs. The upper floor features a master bedroom, and a guest bedroom, a dining room and salon with a patio and garden in back.
All possible
original woodwork was retained including the intricate ceilings (which
are 3.4 m high), hardwood floors, doors, window frames and staircase banister.
Clothing wardrobes were refashioned from the original tall doors of a
large closet.
Rina and Suleyman welcome guests from around the world to visit Insight Travel and "Paris L'Union" for their first glimpse into Turkey's rich historical heritage