As part of the local Culture Route Project, the historic Topçu Ağa Mansion in the eastern province of Erzurum has been transformed into a living museum, library and bookstore that transports visitors straight into the past.
Located in the city center and believed to have been built in the 19th century based on its architectural features, the mansion was expropriated by the Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality and restored before reopening as a secondhand bookstore.
Through a project carried out by the Department of Urban Aesthetics, the two-story building was transformed from a simple reading venue into a cultural space appealing to visitors of all ages.
The mansion houses around 7,000 books and features separate reading sections for adults and children.
An upper-floor section recreates an old-school classroom, complete with vintage textbooks, student uniforms, a blackboard and period educational materials, allowing visitors to experience the learning environment of past generations.
The courtyard of the historic mansion is also being prepared for summer events and reading activities.
Mustafa Aygün, head of the municipality’s Department of Urban Aesthetics, said the goal was to transform the building into a living cultural venue.
Recalling that the mansion had previously served as a library, Aygün said the latest renovations gave the historic structure a new identity.
“We wanted to update the historic mansion and create a format in which people could experience the city’s cultural codes firsthand. That is how the idea of a secondhand bookstore emerged. By incorporating the museum concept, we turned it into a living museum. Today, living museums attract significant interest. We transformed the mansion into a place that functions as a museum, a bookstore and a social space,” he said.
“We currently have nearly 7,000 books. The mansion has two floors and a courtyard, which we are preparing for summer activities. We dedicated the upper floor entirely to children. We recreated an old classroom to show children where their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents once studied. We wanted to create a family atmosphere. We also prepared a reading room for children on the upper floor,” Aygün added.
According to Aygün, the venue has received positive feedback since opening and attracts around 500 to 600 visitors daily, with even higher numbers on weekends.
He also noted that Erzurum ranks among Türkiye’s leading provinces in reading habits and said works are underway to preserve old books in the bookstore.
