Silahtarağa Power Station

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The Silahtarağa Power Station (Turkish: Silahtarağa Elektrik Santralı) was a coal-fired thermal power station located in Istanbul, Turkey. Ottoman Empire's first power plant, it served from 1914 to 1983. The site was converted into a university campus with two museums and several facilities for different purposes. It is renamed SantralIstanbul and reopened in 2007.

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[edit] History

The power plant was projected as being the first one in the Ottoman Empire apart from a small hydroelectric power station, which went into service 1902 in Tarsus, Anatolia. The Budapest based Austria-Hungarian Ganz Electric Company was selected to built the power station. It founded in 1910 the Ottoman Electric Company in cooperation with two foreign banks, Banque de Bruxelles and Banque Generale de Credit Hangrois. The company obtained a concession for 50 years, and built a coal-fired thermal power plant in Silahtarağa neighborhood in Eyüp at the upper end of Golden Horn.

The power plant started its service on February 11, 1914, just before the outbreak of World War I, supplying power to tram net and three days later to the sultan's palace and some households in three different corners of the city as well.

The foreign-owned company was nationalized in 1937 and turned over on July 1, 1938 to the Municipality of Istanbul for its management by the Electricity, Tunnel and Tram Company of Istanbul (IETT). Silahtarağa power station was the lone electric supplier in Istanbul until 1950s. In 1952, the station was linked to the newly created ınterconnect electric system of Turkey. It was transferred to Etibank in 1962 and 1963. In 1970, the power station was turned over to the Turkish Electric Institution (TEK).

Silahtarağa power station had initially 3 units of 6 MW power each. The capacity was later increased to a total power of 80 MW.

On March 13, 1983, Silahtarağa power station was shut down due to reaching the end of its economic service life. It is Turkey's first power plant closed. The site stood dormant since then.[1]

In 1991, Silahtarağa power plant was listed under the cultural and natural objects in Istanbul to be protected.[2]

[edit] Redevelopment project

In 2002, a redevelopment plan was worked out by Oğuz Özerden, a young businessman and founder of Istanbul Bilgi University. The project foresaw the conversion of the former plant site into a university campus with creation of a modern art museum and an energy museum particularly.

Despite a rivaling project of the Chamber of Electrical Engineers' Istanbul branch in cooperation with Istanbul Technical University[3], Bilgi University's project was approved by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, and could be realized in three years with financial support of some leading Turkish companies.[4]

The complex was renamed SantralIstanbul after the Turkish language word "Santral" for power station, and opened officially on September 8, 2007. It comprises a modern art museum, an energy museum, a public library, an amphitheater and several other facilities for arts, cultural, educational and social purposes.

[edit] Energy museum

Important technical remains of the former power station are preserved and can be seen in the Energy museum, which was designed by architect Han Tümertekin. Situated in the turbine hall having three generator groups, the museum is the summary of the steam turbines, the electrical generators and the equipment of the power plant on the show in almost original conditions.

Here, modern glass escalators replaced the former coal conveyors between the floors. In order to have a good overview of the machinery in the huge hall, a podium is hanged at 12 m height, which leads the visitors to the control room. The podium has a rough wooden floor and glass sides framed in steel. The control room is left nearly in its original form, but was cleaned only.

The technical museum has also moving exhibits, where the visitors are encouraged to push buttons and work levers for interactive learning.

[edit] Admission and transport

The museum is open to public from 10.00 to 22.00 hours everyday except Mondays. Admission is free of charge.

A shuttle bus service free of charge is provided for the visitors departing from Atatürk Cultural Center in Taksim every half an hour.

Address:
Eski Silahtarağa Elektrik Santrali (Former Silahtarağa Power Station)
Silahtar Mah. Kazım Karabekir Cad. 1
Eyüp-Istanbul

[edit] References

  1. ^ Sistem (Turkish)
  2. ^ Yeni Aktuel (Turkish)
  3. ^ Newspaper Turkish Daily News September 8, 2007
  4. ^ Newspaper Radikal July 21, 2007 (Turkish)

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 41°03′62″N, 28°56′45″E