Hıstory of the Mansıon

No direct information about the construction process and architect of Ayşe-Seniha Mayda Mansion has yet been found in archival documents. However, a document in the Ottoman Archives reveals that Kâmil Pasha continued to work with Architect Péré for his personal properties after the Clock Tower. The document mentions, “Six houses and four shops built by the engineer Monsieur Pere on Galazi Street in Fasülye”. Kâmil Pasha’s special interest in the Clock Tower and the information in this document strengthen the possibility that the mansion was also designed by Père. 

After serving as Governor of Aydın, Kâmil Pasha returned to Cyprus; his properties in Izmir were rented out and the income was shared among his family. Archival documents show that the mansion was rented out for various purposes over time, such as the Jewish Inas (Girls) School, Göztepe Italian School and Izmir Private Revolution Secondary School. The last known tenant of the mansion was Mehmet Dürdali Karasan, one of the first soldiers to enter Izmir on September 9th, 1922. 

The Mayda Family settled in the mansion in the 1950s, where Ayşe Mayda lived until her death in 2021. One of the long-established families that played an active role in the modernization process of Izmir, the Mayda Family made significant contributions to urban life, educational reforms and cultural developments. Ayşe-Seniha Mayda Mansion became a symbol of this historical accumulation; it hosted artists such as Safiye Ayla and Şerif Muhiddin Targan as well as statesmen such as the King of Iraq. Ayşe Mayda opened the doors of the mansion not only to special guests, but also to students, academics, journalists, writers and representatives of civil society, making the building a symbol of the city. 

As a result of Arkas Holding’s meticulous restoration work, Ayşe – Seniha Mayda Mansion was brought back to life in 2025 as a culture & arts center under the name Arkas Art Göztepe. 

Architecture  

The geometric patterns created by the two-colored bricks used on the exterior of the building are harmoniously integrated with the elegant Art Nouveau details in the interior, making it clear that this work was created by a master architect. 

The structural system of the building has a remarkable feature. In the interior, there is a wooden carcass system hidden under the plaster and this system is surrounded by thick stone walls. On the outermost surface, there is a single row of brick cladding. Although the characteristic brickwork on the façade gives the impression that the building was constructed entirely of brick, in reality the main structure consists of stone walls. In addition, a timber frame system was used as a supporting element in line with technical and static requirements. 

The determinations made by precise measurement methods show that all the walls of the building coincide exactly on top of each other. In traditional buildings, it is common to encounter some shifts or different angles in the walls. However, the absence of such deviations in Ayşe-Seniha Mayda Mansion and the perfection of the details are the most important indicators that the building was built by a successful architect.