Paşaoğlu Mansion: Ordu’s 1896 Ethnography Museum

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1. What is the Paşaoğlu Mansion?
2. How do you get to the Paşaoğlu Mansion?
3. When is the best time to visit the Paşaoğlu Mansion?
4. What is the history of the Paşaoğlu Mansion?
5. What is the Paşaoğlu Mansion famous for?
6. What can you see at the Paşaoğlu Mansion?
7. Common misconceptions about the Paşaoğlu Mansion
8. Frequently asked questions about the Paşaoğlu Mansion
9. What do the official records say about the Paşaoğlu Mansion?

What is the Paşaoğlu Mansion?

The Paşaoğlu Mansion (Paşaoğlu Konağı) is a stone town house in the Selimiye quarter of Ordu, built in 1896 for Paşaoğlu Hüseyin Efendi. It is one of the finest pieces of 19th-century domestic architecture on the Black Sea coast, and since 1987 it has been the city’s ethnography museum.

The house is worth visiting as much for itself as for its collection. Its stonework is unusually rich, and the second floor has been arranged as a 19th-century household, with the central hall (sofa), the room of “Paşa Nine” (the grandmother of the house), the everyday living room, the guest room and the built-in cupboards (yüklük) where bedding was stored during the day.

How do you get to the Paşaoğlu Mansion?

The mansion is in Selimiye, a short walk or taxi ride from the seafront and the centre of Ordu. Combine it with the Boztepe cable car and the other sights of the old centre, such as the Atik İbrahim Paşa Mosque and the Taşbaşı Culture Centre.

Ordu-Giresun Airport is about 19 km east of the city. Museum opening hours vary by season; check with the Ordu Museum Directorate or on the Ministry’s museum website before you go.

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When is the best time to visit the Paşaoğlu Mansion?

Any time of year. It is an indoor visit, so it works well on one of Ordu’s many rainy days. Allow about an hour. Mornings on weekdays are usually quietest.

What is the history of the Paşaoğlu Mansion?

The mansion was built in 1896 by Paşaoğlu Hüseyin Efendi in the Selimiye quarter, at a time when Ordu was growing quickly as a market town for the hazelnut trade. According to the 2002 inventory, no expense was spared: the stone was brought from Ünye, the timber from Romania, and the house was built by a master craftsman from Istanbul. The result is a three-storey house with exceptionally fine stonework.

The mansion belongs to a particular moment in the city’s history. Ordu had only taken its present name in 1869, when the Ottoman outpost of Bayramlı grew into a town, and by the 1890s its merchants were wealthy enough to build in stone and import materials from across the Black Sea. Few houses of this quality survive in the city, which is one reason the building was chosen for the museum.

The house was restored and opened to the public as the Paşaoğlu Mansion and Ethnography Museum on 18 November 1987. It remains one of the main museum buildings of the Ordu Museum Directorate.

What is the Paşaoğlu Mansion famous for?

• Architecture. One of the most beautiful examples of 19th-century civil architecture in the region, with rich stone carving.
• Period rooms on the second floor recreating a late-Ottoman household.
• Local costume and crafts of the Ordu region.

What can you see at the Paşaoğlu Mansion?

The building. Look at the cut stone of the façades and the proportions of the three floors, and notice how the timber, brought from across the Black Sea in Romania, is used inside.

The ethnography collection. Regional women’s and men’s costumes, weapons, jewellery, handwritten Qur’ans and old writing sets, displayed through the house.

The period floor. The second floor is arranged as a 19th-century mansion: the central hall (sofa), Paşa Nine’s room, the day room, the guest room and the yüklük cupboards.

Nearby. The Atik İbrahim Paşa Mosque, known as the Orta Cami, stands in the centre of town; its original Seljuk-style mihrab was moved to the Selimiye Mosque. The Taşbaşı Culture Centre is a former church that also served as a prison.

Practical tips. There are stairs between floors and no lift in the historic building, so visitors with limited mobility should ask staff about access. Photography rules can vary, so check at the entrance. The museum is small enough to see in under an hour, leaving time for Boztepe the same afternoon.

Common misconceptions about the Paşaoğlu Mansion

Was the Paşaoğlu Mansion built for a pasha?

What people often assume: The name suggests the house belonged to an Ottoman pasha, a high-ranking official or general.

What the record says: It was built in 1896 by Paşaoğlu Hüseyin Efendi; “Paşaoğlu” (son of a pasha) was the family name, and his title was the civilian efendi (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ordu Provincial Tourism Inventory, 2002).

Frequently asked questions about the Paşaoğlu Mansion

What do the official records say about the Paşaoğlu Mansion?

The mansion, in the Selimiye quarter of central Ordu, was built in 1896 by Paşaoğlu Hüseyin Efendi. One of the most beautiful examples of 19th-century civil architecture, the mansion has extremely rich stonework; its stones were brought from Ünye and its timber from Romania, and it was built by a master from Istanbul.

In the three-storey mansion, which opened on 18 November 1987 as the Paşaoğlu Mansion and Ethnography Museum, local women’s and men’s clothing, weapons, jewellery, handwritten Qur’ans and old writing sets are displayed. In addition, the second floor carries the character of a 19th-century mansion, with arrangements such as the sofa, the Paşa Nine room, the day room, the guest room and the yüklük. (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ordu Provincial Tourism Inventory, 2002)