Guide
The Poyraz mansion stands in the Meydanbasi quarter of Battalgazi, and its date of construction is estimated at 1890. In the early years of the republic it was described as the finest building in the area, and compared with other houses of its period it stands out for the standard of living it was built for. It is two storeys of mudbrick, stone and timber, covering an area of 21 by 11 metres, with entrances on the north and south fronts.
A wooden stair leads to the first floor, which holds the haremlik and selamlik sections along with the balcony-like summer spaces known here as hayat; the ground floor has the kitchen, the pantry and the straw store. The house is symmetrical when divided down the middle, and in each of its two courtyards is a bread oven. In the part used as a bath — now collapsed — a system was found for circulating smoke beneath the floor to heat it. Considerable care went into the woodwork. The house served as a school in the first years of the republic and is known as the first school of old Malatya. The municipality of Battalgazi restored it in 2011 and it was arranged as a neighbourhood life museum. It is on Akminare Caddesi.
