Çorum Government House
The Çorum Government House (Hükümet Konağı), located on Gazi Caddesi in Karakeçili neighborhood in the city center, is the building that today houses the Çorum Governorate’s service offices. This Republican-era building replaced the Old Government House, which served the same function until it was destroyed by a fire in 1956. It should not be confused with the separate building constructed in the Republican era as a library, today known as the Municipal Building.
The Old Government House
According to the Çorum Governorate’s official history page, the Old Government House, known to have been in use in 1890, stood southeast of the Grand Mosque (Ulucami). The 1900 Ankara Province Yearbook (Vilayet Salnamesi) contains limited but notable information about this building, in its section on Çorum Sanjak: the Government Building, located in the middle of the town, was a well-ordered structure set within a courtyard, housing the Municipality, the Judiciary and a Military Office. The Judiciary occupied 13 rooms and a small mosque (mescit), while the Military Office had 8 rooms, for a total of 25 rooms and one mescit in the building. The government courtyard also contained a military depot and an old prison.
The building had the appearance characteristic of a Çorum house: a long mass running east-west, with the entrance on the south-facing façade set beneath a bay window (cumba) resting on wooden posts. The two-story building had apparently been extended to the west with a later addition, as suggested by the differing façade composition. This Old Government House was entirely destroyed by a fire in 1956.
The Present Building
Construction of the Government House currently in use began in 1960 and was completed in 1966, with one basement and three regular floors, as a service building. It has continued to serve in this capacity ever since, having undergone renovations on various occasions. Completed after a gap of roughly six years, the new building filled the administrative void left by the 1956 fire and has since remained the central seat of the Çorum Governorate.
Location and Related Places
The Çorum Government House stands at the administrative core of the city center. Those wishing to see the city’s other public and historic buildings may also visit the Municipal Building, the Çorum Clock Tower and the Çorum Grand Mosque (Murad-ı Rabi Mosque) pages.