Istanbul’s Sadabad Police Station has returned to public use as Vefa Konağı, a book cafe and social facility. Kağıthane Municipality restored the building after its closure in 2018. Work reinforced the foundations and walls, repaired historic architectural elements and uncovered the imperial monogram of Sultan Abdülhamid II beneath a covering.
The historic Sadabad Police Station in Istanbul’s Kağıthane district has reopened as Vefa Konağı. Restored by Kağıthane Municipality, the former security building now houses a book cafe and a social facility open to the public. The restoration also uncovered an imperial monogram that had been covered over.[1], [2]
The station had served gendarmerie and police units for many years before deterioration forced its closure in 2018. It had already been registered as protected cultural property in 2005. Restoration plans were prepared in 2021, after the building was taken out of use. The work reinforced its foundations and walls while retaining the historic character.[1]
A two-storey building first stood on the site in 1859. In 1892, during Sultan Abdülhamid II’s reign, a single-storey stone building replaced it. Repairs renewed the wooden roof, floors, doors and windows in keeping with the architecture. At the opening, Mayor Mevlüt Öztekin described the recovery of Abdülhamid II’s tughra, the calligraphic emblem used as the Ottoman ruler’s official signature.[1]
