HEKIMBASI SALIH EFENDI YALI
The vast, primer red yali beneath the Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror Bridge on the Asian side is the Hekimbasi Salih Efendi Yali. With the green woods of Otag Tepe, it is one of the most striking yaps along the Bosphorus waterway.
The yalis first owner was the last chief physician of the Ottoman Empire, Salih Efendi, who was one of the first graduates of the Medical School, inaugurated in 1827 during the reign of Mahmud II.
Having graduated from this school in 1843 and going on to become an assistant and faculty member at the same school, Salih Efendi was hired as 'chief palace physician' by Sultan Abdulmecid, whereby he remained at this position during the reign of Sultan AbdulAziz. His status was equivalent to today's health minister. Salih Efendi served as the last chief physician until 1895. In addition to taking on several medically related posts, he also offered services such as education consultancy. While tutoring the sultan's daughters, he fell in love with a maidservant and obtained Sultan Abdulmecit's permission to marry her. Though he didn't have any children from this marriage, Salih Efendi had one from his third marriage. Awarded several orders by the palace, Chief Physician Sami Efendi was also bestowed orders from Portugal, Prussia, Spain and Austria. In addition to the flowers he raised in his gardens behind the yali, he also raised herbs and plants to produce drugs. Roses raised in his garden were named after him Hekimbasi Besides these roses, the cherries he grew were famous as well. He's blown to have personally worked in the garden situated between the two main sections of the yali.
The harem of the yali he had built is the section that still exists. The selamlik section to the north was eventually demolished. The yali starts with three floors at the north edge, descending to two floors in the middle and one floor in the south. The middle floor indented balcony in the high section, as well as the four wooden column posts are striking.
This yali was comprised of two rooms and a hall when it was acquired by Salih Efendi. He tore this small yali down and replaced it with a wider 'fah comprised of harem and selamlik section which sat upon stakes parallel to the sea. Two blocks of the harem section in the south.
Belonging to his third wife, 5akibe while the three-story middle block belonged to Mehlika. The selamlik section was also left to Mehlika through a majority stake; this ruinous section was demolished and turned into a garden. The yali's current layout shows the third floor with three rooms, a storage chamber, a hall, and a staircase landing, the second floor with one small and two large rooms. There are also two large rooms behind this section. The northern corner features a guest room and a balcony with four wooden columns in front. There is a large courtyard with a wood ceiling; there are three rooms, a hallway, a small chamber, a dining room, a kitchen and a hamam connected to this courtyard. The three-boiler hamam dates back to the time of Salih Efendi.
The only ashlar block part of the yali is the ground floor of the kitchen, which is paved with huge octagonal mosaics. There are also revolving cabinets from which food is provided. A part of the property behind the yali is still extant. The yak has a ground-, first-and second floor. It is known that structures seen in its current state were added to the yali over the years.
