Kanuni Evi

Kanuni Evi is a small history museum in a two-storey building that sits on top of the walls in Ortahisar, the historic core of Trabzon. The house stands in the quarter where Suleiman the Magnificent was born, and takes its name from that link. The building itself, however, is a Trabzon house built in the 19th century; in other words it is not the house where the sultan lived, but an example of the old fabric of the city in which he spent his childhood. Visiting with this distinction in mind helps you read the museum more accurately. According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, Suleiman was born in Trabzon on 6 November 1494, although some sources give a different date of birth. His father, Prince Selim, was governor of the Trabzon province in those years, and Suleiman spent his childhood in this city. He received his first education from tutors assigned to him at the palace in Trabzon, and the first of his teachers known by name is Hayreddin Efendi. As related by Evliya Çelebi, while in Trabzon he learned the goldsmith's craft together with his foster brother Yahya. When he was given the province of Kefe in 1509, he travelled from Trabzon to Kefe by ship together with his mother, his tutor and his guardian. Trabzon had become part of the Ottoman lands with its conquest by Mehmed the Conqueror on 26 October 1461, so Suleiman was born only about thirty years after the city passed under Ottoman rule. That is why the city is still remembered as the place Mehmed conquered, Selim governed and Suleiman was born and raised. The house was restored by the Governorship of Trabzon in 1994 and opened as a museum. On the two floors of the building, which reflects the traditional domestic architecture of Trabzon, items relating to the life and times of Suleiman are displayed. The collection includes a sword, a kaftan and a portrait said to have belonged to Suleiman, as well as a poem he wrote. According to press reports, the building was rearranged in 2017 under the name Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Ottoman Culture House and began greeting visitors with wax figures of three Ottoman rulers associated with Trabzon. The same reports say the culture house welcomed around 40,000 visitors in 2017 and offered visitors the chance to put on an Ottoman kaftan and have their photograph taken. For this reason the building is known today both by its old name, Kanuni Evi, and by its newer name as a culture house. The museum also hosts exhibitions from time to time. In 2022 an exhibition themed on the Süleymanname, made up of 54 original miniatures describing the age of Suleiman, opened here. As such temporary exhibitions depend on the programme, it is a good idea to ask the operating authority about current events before you go. Perhaps the most striking thing about the house is its position. The building stands right on top of the wall overlooking the Zağnos Valley, and its yellow facade is easy to pick out when seen from the valley. Looking up from Zağnos Valley Park below and seeing the timber and plastered facade resting on the stone wall tells you in a single frame how Byzantine walls and Ottoman houses are interwoven in Ortahisar. That is why we recommend going down into the valley before or after your visit and looking at the building from below. The surroundings of Kanuni Evi, with the steep cobbled streets, old houses and fountains of Ortahisar, form one of the best preserved parts of the city. Nearby are examples of civil architecture such as the Yarımbıyıklıoğlu and Kundupoğlu houses, the Zağnos and Tabakhane bridges and the Zağnos Tower. A short walk lets you see the two stream valleys on the western and eastern sides of the walls, which marked the historic limits of the city. The Zağnos Tower was built of cut stone on a square plan in the time of the Trapezuntine emperor Alexios II and was used for a time as a dungeon. In Ortahisar, Alacahan, thought to date from the 18th century, is today a place where courses in local crafts and handmade products can be seen. The museum can be reached on foot from the city centre; it is enough to walk west from Atatürk Square towards Ortahisar. Since the streets are steep and paved with stone, comfortable shoes are a good idea. Opening days, hours and admission conditions may change, so check current information with the operating authority. Because a visit does not take long, Kanuni Evi works well as a natural stop on a walk along the walls of Ortahisar.