Historic Mansions of Çorum

Çorum’s traditional civil architecture consists of two- or three-storey mansions built with the hımış (timber frame with mudbrick infill) or bağdadi technique, set within a garden and turned inward on themselves. The detailed architectural features of these houses are described in the Çorum Houses article; this page instead brings together specific mansions that have survived to the present, are officially listed, or are named in sources, along with their current status. Much of the old civil architecture in Çorum’s city center was demolished during later redevelopment; a handful of mansions in the center and in İskilip, however, have been carried into the present through municipality- or development-agency-backed restorations.

Central Çorum (Merkez)

Veli Paşa Konağı — On Şeyh Eyüp Street in the Tepecik neighborhood, this two-storey mansion with a central-hall (“karnıyarık”) plan was built in the hımış technique in 1923-1924 by Şevket Bey, the son of Veli Paşa. Restored in 2004 and again in 2020, it is today used as Çorum Municipality’s Women’s Culture and Art Center. See Veli Paşa Konağı for details.

Veli Paşa Han — Built by the same family in the Çepni neighborhood as a commercial and lodging structure, this is a separate building from the mansion. Rebuilt in 1915-1916 after a fire in 1914, it was restored in 2022 and now houses the Çorum City Museum and a restaurant serving local cuisine. See Veli Paşa Han.

Katipler Konağı — On Alaybey Street in the Karakeçili neighborhood, this two-storey mansion was built, according to the Çorum Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, in 1878 during the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II, with a central-hall (“karnıyarık”) plan; it is listed and lies within the urban conservation area. Used as a private residence until 1975, it was restored in 1995 and converted into a licensed restaurant, run by the same family ever since. See Katipler Konağı for details.

Bilaller Konağı — In the Üçtutlar neighborhood, this rectangular, two-storey, timber-frame mansion with projecting upper floors was allocated by its owners to the Special Provincial Administration. Restored in 2017-2019 with the support of the Central Black Sea Development Agency (OKA), it has served as the office of the Çorum Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism since January 2021. See Bilaller Konağı for details.

Tepecik Old Police Station Building — Officially recorded as Abbasoğlu Konağı and popularly known as the Old Police Station, this building, dating to roughly 1890, was restored to its original form by Çorum Municipality in 2018 and converted into a family education center. It stands close to Veli Paşa Konağı. See Tepecik Old Police Station Building (Abbasoğlu Konağı) for details.

The inventory of the Directorate of Culture and Tourism also lists the Alaybey Konağı on Alaybey Street and the neighboring Aksuların houses, the Damatoğulları House in the Üçtutlar neighborhood, and the Tekkeli Hoca House on Osmancık Avenue among Çorum’s listed examples of civil architecture; detailed public information on these buildings is limited.

Note: Another historic mansion restored by Çorum Municipality under its Kültür Yolu (Culture Route) project, İkiz Konak, opened in September 2026 as a 22-bed boutique hotel; its details are covered in a separate article on this site.

İskilip

Two historic mansions in İskilip’s Temenna area were restored and opened to the public between 2011 and 2013: the Çatalkara Kültür ve Sanat Evi, restored on the initiative of painter Hughette Eyüboğlu (Bedri Rahmi’s wife) in cooperation with the district governor’s office and municipality, is dedicated to the memory of painter and poet Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu and today houses painting and sculpture workshops, a children’s theater and guest rooms (see Çatalkara Kültür ve Sanat Evi and Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu Culture and Art Museum); its neighbor, the Yazmalı Konak, was promoted by the municipality and the press of the time as “Türkiye’s first door museum” in 2013 (a claim not independently verified at the national level) and converted into a guest house displaying doors collected from old houses (see Yazmalı Konak).

Fazlalar Konağı — In the Ulaştepe neighborhood, owned by İskilip Municipality, this mansion’s restoration project was approved by the Eastern Black Sea Development Agency (DOKAP) and included in the Ministry of Industry and Technology’s 2026 investment program, as published in the Official Gazette; the municipality aims to convert it into a boutique hotel after restoration. See Fazlalar Konağı for details. For İskilip’s broader historic fabric, see the İskilip visitor guide and İskilip History page.

Osmancık, Sungurlu and Mecitözü

No detailed, publicly available information was found on named, officially listed private mansions in these three districts; by contrast, their late-Ottoman and early-Republican public buildings are well documented. For the historic government house that today serves as the district governor’s office in Mecitözü, along with its clock tower, see Mecitözü Government House and Clock Tower; for the district’s other late-Ottoman public buildings, see The Historic Public Buildings of Mecitözü. The historic heritage of Osmancık and Sungurlu is concentrated more in mosques, castles and bridges; for these districts’ general history, see the Osmancık Visitor Guide and Sungurlu Visitor Guide.

Sources

• Vikipedi (Turkish Wikipedia) — Veli Paşa Konağı (Çorum) and Veli Paşa Hanı entries
• Çorum Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism (corum.ktb.gov.tr) — “Geleneksel Çorum Evleri” and “Tarihi Konaklar ve Diğer Yapılar” pages, İskilip page
• Central Black Sea Development Agency (oka.gov.tr) — “Bilâller Konağı, Restored with OKA Support, Comes Back to Life” (2021)
• Çorum Haber Gazetesi (corumhaber.net) — “The Directorate of Culture and Tourism has moved to Bilaller Konağı” (2021)
• Katipler Konağı official website (katiplerkonagi.com.tr); Yayla Haber — “Full of memories: Çorum houses carry traces of the past” (2026)
• Çorum Municipality (corum.bel.tr) — “The old police station building has been restored to its original form” (2018); Habertürk Yerel Haberler — “130-year-old historic police station to educate families” (2018)
• Habertürk — “Turkey’s first door museum!” (2013); İHA — “İskilip aims for 20,000 tourists” (2013)
• Sondakika.com — “Fazlalar Konağı to Become a Boutique Hotel” (2026); İskilip Municipality — official social media announcements (2026)
• Yeni Şafak — “A mansion model on a bridge railing” (2014)

Frequently asked questions

What is Çorum's best-known historic mansion?

Veli Paşa Konağı, in the Tepecik neighborhood of central Çorum, is the city's best-known listed example of civil architecture, built in 1923-1924 by Veli Paşa's son Şevket Bey.

Are Veli Paşa Han and Veli Paşa Konağı the same building?

No. They are two separate buildings built by the same family at different times: Veli Paşa Han, in the Çepni neighborhood, is a commercial and lodging building, while Veli Paşa Konağı, in the Tepecik neighborhood, is a civil residence.

What architectural features do Çorum houses share?

Çorum houses are typically two storeys, built with the hımış (timber-frame with mudbrick infill) or bağdadi technique, set within a garden with an inward-facing plan, and project outward on the upper floor toward the street.

Which historic mansions can be visited in İskilip?

Two historic mansions in İskilip's Temenna area have been restored and opened as the Çatalkara Kültür ve Sanat Evi (art house) and Yazmalı Konak (guest house).