Ottoman's only palace in Anatolia: Ishak Pasa

By Sitki Yildiz and Huseyin Yildiz

AGRI, Turkey (AA) - Ishak Pasa Palace, one of the most distinguished examples of the 18th century Ottoman architecture in eastern Turkey, attracts tourists' attention while shedding light on history.

"Ishak Pasa Palace is also important in terms of being the only [Ottoman] palace in Anatolia," Yusuf Cetin, a professor at Igdir University, told Anadolu Agency.

Cetin said the Ishak Pasa Palace embraces not only the Ottoman architecture, but also the Seljuk architecture and the traditions of the Caucasian arts.

The palace, located on a hill five kilometers east of the Dogubayazit district of Agri province, was accepted into the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage on Feb. 2, 2000.

The 235-year-old palace has 116 rooms, a central heating system and an old-style toilet system.

"It has a kind of heating system which consists of clay pipes set in the walls to provide hot water circulation. Another interesting feature of the palace is that it has cozy toilets which you cannot see even in the European palaces of that time," Cetin said.

Referring to the 3000-year-old history of the Dogubayazit district, he stressed that the surrounding historical remains in the neighborhood are also worth seeing.