Zaimağa Mansion

Zaimağa Konağı, located in the Sivrihisar district of Eskişehir, is the manor where the Government of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and the Council of Ministers held their first meeting outside Ankara during the War of Independence. It hosted the Council of Ministers meeting on 24 March 1922, attended by Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal and İsmet Pasha. During the meeting, the armistice proposal transmitted by the Allied Powers was discussed, and the decisions reached were conveyed to Ankara.

History

Zaimağa Konağı belongs to the Zaimoğlu family, whose origins trace back to the Selçuklu lineage. The family initially settled in Darende district of Malatya after migrating from Central Asia and later moved to the Kerkük region of Iraq. Kara Zaim, who served as a zeamet holder there, had three sons who were exiled to Anatolia; one of the younger sons was appointed by the Sultan as the zeamet holder of the Sivrihisar Sanjak. Zaim Zade Mehmet Ağa carried out duties on behalf of the state including tax collection and maintaining mounted sipahis. The three sons of the Zaimoğlu family—Hasan, Ali, and Şefik—resided in different manors in Sivrihisar, some of which have since been demolished.

Zaimağa Konağı (Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye)

Sivrihisar has been under the influence of many civilizations throughout history and has served as a significant regional settlement center. The Zaimoğlu family and the area where the manor stands held administrative and social roles throughout the Ottoman period, continuing functions such as tax collection, maintaining mounted sipahis, and local governance. This underscores the importance of the manor both to the family and to the regional history.

Architectural Features

Zaimağa Konağı is a two-story building with a half-story basement. The basement and entrance floor walls are constructed of rubble stone bonded with mud mortar, while the upper floors are built using a timber frame technique filled with brick and adobe. The roof is gabled and covered with ridged clay tiles. The northern facade faces the street, while the garden and courtyard on the rear and eastern sides are enclosed by high walls; a double-leaf wooden board door opens directly into the garden. Except for the tandır oven adjacent to the northwest corner of the building, all outbuildings have been demolished. The structure exhibits typical features of civil Ottoman manor architecture of its period in terms of overall plan and construction technique.

Interior Layout

Interior of Zaimağa Konağı (Sivrihisar Municipality of the Republic of Türkiye)

The upper floors of Zaimağa Konağı follow a central-sala plan and are entirely arranged for residential use. The basement is divided into sections such as a pantry, storage, stable, granary, and wine cellar. On the upper level, a long rectangular sala oriented north-south occupies the center, with rooms placed at its corners; some of these rooms are allocated to eyvans and stairwells. The doorways to the rooms feature carved and inlaid wooden craftsmanship, and interiors contain elements such as sedir wood, yüklük shelves, and cabinets. In the eastern rooms, corner gusülhanes are present. Plaster niches adorn the walls of the sala and rooms, while wooden cornices decorate the ceilings; a decorated marble sink is located on the northern wall of the eyvan. The large number of windows ensures good lighting in the upper floors. Ceiling decorations feature stylized whirlpool motifs within small squares and “S”-shaped curves, with metal ornaments placed at the centers. Plaster light fixtures and geometric patterns complete the interior decoration.

Manor and Garden Layout

Zaimağa Konağı is situated within a spacious garden and courtyard enclosed by high walls, with a double-leaf wooden board door providing direct access to the garden. Except for the tandır oven adjacent to the northwest corner of the building, all outbuildings have been demolished; this area contains two hearths—one large and one small—as well as wooden storage units and shelves. The basement is directly connected to the entrance floor and contains functional areas such as a pantry, storage, stable, granary, and wine cellar. The garden and courtyard were planned to support the social and administrative functions of the manor, with their layout harmonizing with the overall settlement plan of the building.

Role in the War of Independence

Interior of Zaimağa Konağı (Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye)

Zaimağa Konağı hosted the first meeting of the Council of Ministers outside Ankara during the War of Independence. On 24 March 1922, Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal and İsmet Pasha arrived in Sivrihisar and invited the Executive Delegation (Council of Ministers) to the manor.^【1】 Decisions regarding the armistice proposal sent by the Allied Powers after the Battle of Sakarya were made during the meeting and communicated to Ankara. During the same period, on 8 March 1922, Soviet Ambassador Aralov Zonaryev and Azerbaijani Ambassador İbrahim Abilov also visited Sivrihisar, and discussions on current matters were held at the manor. Following the meetings, the Council of Ministers relocated to the Headquarters of the First Army on 29 March 1922.^【2】

Cultural Significance

Zaimağa Konağı is an important part of the historical and cultural heritage of the Sivrihisar and Eskişehir region. The structure, reflecting the Ottoman-era settlement traditions of the Zaimoğlu family, exemplifies the civil manor architecture of its time through its interior and exterior decorations, wooden craftsmanship, and spatial planning. The manor holds both historical and cultural value due to hosting the first Council of Ministers meeting outside Ankara and witnessing diplomatic activities in the region. Its interior layout, garden and courtyard design, decorative elements, and architectural integrity are essential to preserving and transmitting the cultural heritage of Sivrihisar to future generations.