A surprise from Vehbi Koç to his family: Büyükdere House
Do you know the story of Vehbi Koç’s Büyükdere House, which hosted a selection of Anatolian kilims and weaving tools donated to the Vehbi Koç Foundation by the late Josephine Powell, the American photographer and collector known as one of the last travelers of Anatolia? Let’s trace the history of this house, which served as an exhibition space of the Vehbi Koç Foundation for nearly 5 years.
Starting in the 1920s, our founder, Vehbi Koç, would take his family from Ankara to Istanbul for the summer and stay in the Ikbal Hotel in Büyükdere. Since spending the long summer vacations in a hotel was difficult for the family, Vehbi Koç begins to search for a house. In 1938, he buys this house from the Frenkyan Family, surprising his family and spending the summer months here. The house, located in Büyükdere, a neighborhood in the Sarıyer district of Istanbul and featuring an impressive garden, hosts countless receptions and distinguished guests over the years.
So, how did Vehbi Koç’s Büyükdere House become an exhibition venue? In 2007, the kilims Josephine Powell collected during her travels across Anatolia from 1970 to 1990 were donated to the Vehbi Koç Foundation. And the process began to exhibit a selection from the donated collection at Sadberk Hanım Museum. However, the physical conditions of the museum did not meet the requirements to showcase the Anatolian kilims and the weaving tools. Then, Semahat Arsel, the Chair of Vehbi Koç Foundation, stepped in, and the exhibition was moved to the Büyükdere House. Vehbi Koç’s House opened its doors to the public in September 2018 with an outstanding exhibition, showcasing selected kilims woven in Anatolia from the 18th to the 20th centuries, along with a loom and other weaving tools. The House now is temporarily closed its doors to visits for a while.
