Balyan family
The Balyan family is a dynasty of famous Ottoman imperial architects of Armenian ethnicity, who designed and constructed numerous magnificent buildings like sultan palaces, kiosks, mosques, churches and various public buildings mostly in İstanbul for five generations in the 18th and 19th centuries. The nine reputed members of the family, who served six sultans in the course of almost a century, were responsible for the westernization of then capital city's architecture Until the 17th century, architects serving in the Ottoman Empire were either Muslim or converted to Islam later in life. Most probably, as a result of the reform movement, architects from the minorities gained popularity, and among them the western educated Balyan family has a distinct place in architecture of the empire. The most important and largest construction they built was Dolmabahçe Palace, which is considered to be one of the world finest palaces of the 19th century. Most of their buildings are still in use, and registered as historical monuments by Turkey.
Family members Bali (aka Balen) (? – 1725) Krikor Balyan (Krikor Amira Balyan) (1764 – 1831) Senekerim Balyan (1768 – 1833) Garabet Amira Balyan (1800 – 1866) Nigoğayos Balyan (1826 – 1856) Levon Balyan (1855 - ?) Sarkis Balyan (1835 – 1899) Hagop Balyan (1838 – 1875) Simon Balyan (?-1894)
Following is a list of buildings and structures designed and constructed by Balyan family members.
Royal residences: Dolmabahçe Palace (1848-1856) Beylerbeyi Palace (burnt by Janissaries, rebuilt) (1861-1865) Çırağan Palace (1863-1871) Sarayburnu Palace (burnt 1875) Beşiktaş Palace Valide Sultan Palace, Arnavutköy Defterdar Sultan Palace Adile Sultan Palace, Kandilli (1876) Eyup Twin Palaces Salıpazarı Palace Yıldız Palace Fındıklı Cemile and Münire Sultan Palaces (1856-1859) İzmit Hünkar Palace Baltalimanı Coastal Palace Adile Sultan Pavilion, Validebağ (1853) Aynalıkavak Pavilion Ihlamur Pavilion (1849) Küçüksu (Göksu) Pavilion (1857) Malta Kiosk Sultan Mahmud I Kiosk Yeşilköy Hünkar Kiosk Old kiosk on Galatasaray islet
Religious buildings: Tophane Nusretiye Mosque (1823-1826) Ortaköy Mosque (1852-1854) Dolmabahçe Mosque, aka Bezm-i Alem Valide Sultan Mosque (1852–1854) Aksaray Valide Mosque (1871) Üsküdar Surp Haç Armenian Gregorian Church Kayseri Surp Krikor Lusavoriç Armenian Church Beşiktaş Surp Nişan Armenian Church (1834) Ortaköy Surp Astvadzadzin Armenian Church (1824) Kuruçeşme Surp Nişan Armenian Church Bandırma Armenian Church Beyoğlu Surp Yerrortutyun Church (1838) Kumkapı Surp Astvadzadzin Patriarchiate Church Mausoleum of Sultan Mahmud II (1840) Mausoleum of Sultan Abdülmecit Mausoleum of Sultan Abdülaziz
Public buildings: İstanbul Mint Selimiye Barracks (1800) Davutpaşa Barracks (1826-1827) Beyoğlu Barracks Maçka Arsenal Ministry of War Academy of War Palace School of Medicine Academy of Fine Arts Beşiktaş Makruhyan Armenian Primary School (1866) Beyazit Tower (1828) Dolmabahçe Clock Tower (1895) Nusretiye Clock Tower (1848) Topuzlu Dam Valide Dam Beşiktaş-Akaretler 138 Terraced Houses (1874) Armenian Hospital (1832-1834) Production facilities Zeytinburnu iron works İzmit textile factory Hereke textile factory (1843) Bakırköy textile factory Beykoz tannery Zeytinburnu gunpowder factory (1874)