History meets art under a rubber tree
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Ceylan Yeğinsu
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Haziran 25, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - A kauçuk tree, or rubber tree, growing on a historic site on the Lycian Way in Antalya was the inspiration for a unique boutique art hotel that was transformed from a dilapidated old house on the ancient grounds.
Owner Rengin Emekcioğlu and her family discovered the site during a break from a long journey from Cappadocia to Antalya in 1987. "I know it might sound strange but I fell in love with the composition of the house nestled under the tree among the historic ruins," Emekcioğlu told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
The story of the Kauçuk Art hotel started at the registered historic site located in Antalya’s Kaleiçi region, which is a co-production of Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman eras. When asked why it took so long to transform the site into a hotel, Emekcioglu explained that she never envisioned the grounds as a hotel site.
Hidden behind the rubber tree, Emekcioğlu describes the site as a type of secret garden. "Antalya is renowned for its large-scale holiday packages that are hosted by grand resorts, but the concept for Kauçuk is quite different. It has been designed to host small groups of close friends and families that can enjoy the history, culture and peace on a more private scale," she said.
Emikcioğlu took great care in staying faithful to its original houses when restoring the Kauçuk houses. All the columns and stones are original. All the woodwork that is used in the houses is handmade, and all the ironwork was built in the garden of Kauçuk. "Much loving and caring labor went into it from the craftsmen," Emekcioğlu said, explaining that soon this type of restoration will not be repeatable because the final generation of craftsmen skilled in old techniques is passing on and not being replaced. Master craftsmen took apart the houses piece by piece, adopting the technique of badadi architecture, and reconstructed the houses using as many original materials as possible.
At the same time, Kauçuk is an art hotel exhibiting original works from many modern Turkish artists.
The story of the Kauçuk Art hotel started at the registered historic site located in Antalya’s Kaleiçi region, which is a co-production of Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman eras. When asked why it took so long to transform the site into a hotel, Emekcioglu explained that she never envisioned the grounds as a hotel site.
Hidden behind the rubber tree, Emekcioğlu describes the site as a type of secret garden. "Antalya is renowned for its large-scale holiday packages that are hosted by grand resorts, but the concept for Kauçuk is quite different. It has been designed to host small groups of close friends and families that can enjoy the history, culture and peace on a more private scale," she said.
Emikcioğlu took great care in staying faithful to its original houses when restoring the Kauçuk houses. All the columns and stones are original. All the woodwork that is used in the houses is handmade, and all the ironwork was built in the garden of Kauçuk. "Much loving and caring labor went into it from the craftsmen," Emekcioğlu said, explaining that soon this type of restoration will not be repeatable because the final generation of craftsmen skilled in old techniques is passing on and not being replaced. Master craftsmen took apart the houses piece by piece, adopting the technique of badadi architecture, and reconstructed the houses using as many original materials as possible.
At the same time, Kauçuk is an art hotel exhibiting original works from many modern Turkish artists.