Bursa Hünkâr Mansion/Atatürk Mansion With Wall Paintings

Abstract

The subject of this article is the wall paintings of the Hünkâr Köşkü, which was built during the reign of Sultan Abdülmecid, as one of the reflections of the city of Bursa in the 19th century when the Ottoman modernization was at its most intense. The mansion was built as a hunting lodge in 1844 by Mehmet Salih, the Governor of Bursa, upon the news that Sultan Abdülmecid (1823-1861) would visit Bursa. Sultan Abdülmecid embarked on his journey, which led him to be known as “the first sultan to travel abroad”, to see and witness the needs of the people on the spot and to listen to their complaints, if any. In this context, on June 25, 1844, he stayed in the Hunting Pavilion built for him by Mehmet Salih, the Governor of Bursa, during his trip to Izmit, Mudanya, Bursa, Gallipoli, Çanakkale and the Islands. It is known that the Sultan stayed in the mansion for only five days. Sultan Abdülaziz in 1863 and Mehmet Reşat V in 1909 also stayed here. The statesmen who used the Hünkâr Pavilion were not limited to the sultans; Mustafa Kemal Atatürk also preferred to stay in the pavilion during his visits to Bursa. Looking at the decoration repertoire of the mansion, it is understood that every room and hall was decorated with wall paintings. The themes chosen point to the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz rather than the reign of Abdülmecid. In addition to landscapes by the sea or water of unknown origin, depictions of dead nature with fruits, flowers and goblets, animals in their natural habitat attract attention. The city of Bursa, which stands out with the important buildings of the Ottoman history as well as the main factories and schools of the 19th century modernization period, draws attention as an old capital city that the late sultans visited in passing but did not completely abandon the sultanate. It is obvious that it follows the style of the capital in terms of architectural style or pictorial style and themes.