Istanbul, Türkiye
Welcome to Feshane ArtIstanbul, a place where the echoes of Istanbul’s industrious past blend with the creative spirit of today. This impressive brick building stands along the Golden Horn, in the district of Eyüpsultan, holding stories that stretch back nearly two centuries.
Feshane’s journey began in the eighteen-thirties, thanks to Sultan Mahmud the Second, a reform-minded Ottoman ruler. To modernize his military, he founded Feshane as a textile factory in the heart of old Istanbul. Its mission was straightforward: to produce uniforms and fez hats for soldiers and officials—items that symbolized a new era in Ottoman dress and identity. Soon, the original small workshop moved to its current riverside home, where sunlight dances off the gentle waters outside.
Through the late nineteenth century, Feshane expanded rapidly. By eighteen ninety-four, the factory was a centerpiece of Ottoman industry and included a school that taught young apprentices both theory and practice in textile crafts. After a fire in the late eighteen-sixties, the building rose again, rebuilt with the most modern technology of the era.
Feshane’s story took another turn with the founding of the Turkish Republic. The famous Hat Revolution of the nineteen-twenties changed everything—fez production declined, and the factory shifted focus, names, and owners over time. Yet, the red brick walls continued to witness Istanbul’s transformation.
By the late twentieth century, textile production ended here. The municipality stepped in, and after extensive restorations beginning in the late two thousand-tens, Feshane was reborn in June two thousand twenty-three as ArtIstanbul Feshane, an eight-thousand-square-meter cultural oasis.
Today, you can wander beneath lofty ceilings and sunlit arches, viewing contemporary artworks that speak to both Turkish and global experiences. The main exhibition, “Starting from the Middle,” explores themes of history and renewal, inviting visitors to reflect on art’s ever-changing nature.
Careful restoration has preserved the factory’s ironwork, textured brick, and monumental spaces, honoring the legacy of those who worked here while providing a fresh canvas for modern creators. Across its history, Feshane has welcomed workers, artists, and visitors from diverse backgrounds, echoing Istanbul’s multicultural soul.
As you explore Feshane ArtIstanbul, you step into a living memory of industry, adaptation, and creativity at the heart of one of the world’s oldest cities.
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