Çatalkara Kültür ve Sanat Evi (Culture and Art House)
Çatalkara Kültür ve Sanat Evi is a historic mansion in the Temenna area of central İskilip, next door to Yazmalı Konak. It takes its name from the Çatalkara grape grown in the area, said to have also inspired a poem by painter Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu.
Restoration
According to the Çorum Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, this historic İskilip house, described in sources as “120 years old,” was restored on the initiative of Hughette Eyüboğlu, the French-born painter and wife of Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu, in cooperation with the İskilip district governor’s office and municipality, with additional support from the Çorum Governorate. The restoration was completed as part of the “İskilip Culture and Art Days” commemorations marking the centenary (2011) of the artist’s birth, and the building opened to the public on that occasion; some sources instead describe the building as roughly “150 years old” — since the sources do not fully agree on its exact age, this figure should be treated with caution.
Function
Today, Çatalkara Kültür ve Sanat Evi houses painting and sculpture workshops, a children’s theater, and guest rooms, and the venue also hosts exhibitions and conferences in various art disciplines. For details of Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu’s 1942 visit to İskilip and its influence on his work, see the Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu Culture and Art Museum page; together with its neighbor Yazmalı Konak, Çatalkara Kültür ve Sanat Evi is one of the two most visible results of the restoration work in İskilip’s Temenna area. For the district’s general history, see the İskilip History page, and for Çorum’s other historic mansions, see the Historic Mansions of Çorum guide.
Frequently asked questions
Who restored Çatalkara Kültür ve Sanat Evi, and when?
According to the Çorum Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, the restoration was carried out on the initiative of painter Hughette Eyüboğlu, Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu's wife, in cooperation with the İskilip district governor's office and municipality, with additional support from the Çorum Governorate.
How old is the building?
Sources differ slightly: the Çorum Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism describes the building as a '120-year-old' İskilip house, while another source drawing on İskilip Municipality material describes it as '150 years old'; the figure should therefore be treated as approximate.
What is Çatalkara Kültür ve Sanat Evi used for today?
It houses painting and sculpture workshops, a children's theater, and guest rooms, and also hosts exhibitions and conferences.