Çorum Government House
The Çorum Government House (Hükümet Konağı), located on Gazi Caddesi in Karakeçili neighborhood in the city center, is the building that today houses the Çorum Governorate’s service offices. This Republican-era building replaced the Old Government House, which served the same function until it was destroyed by a fire in 1956. It should not be confused with the separate building constructed in the Republican era as a library, today known as the Municipal Building.
The Old Government House
According to the Çorum Governorate’s official history page, the Old Government House, known to have been in use in 1890, stood southeast of the Grand Mosque (Ulucami). The 1900 Ankara Province Yearbook (Vilayet Salnamesi) contains limited but notable information about this building, in its section on Çorum Sanjak: the Government Building, located in the middle of the town, was a well-ordered structure set within a courtyard, housing the Municipality, the Judiciary and a Military Office. The Judiciary occupied 13 rooms and a small mosque (mescit), while the Military Office had 8 rooms, for a total of 25 rooms and one mescit in the building. The government courtyard also contained a military depot and an old prison.
The building had the appearance characteristic of a Çorum house: a long mass running east-west, with the entrance on the south-facing façade set beneath a bay window (cumba) resting on wooden posts. The two-story building had apparently been extended to the west with a later addition, as suggested by the differing façade composition. This Old Government House was entirely destroyed by a fire in 1956.
The Present Building
Construction of the Government House currently in use began in 1960 and was completed in 1966, with one basement and three regular floors, as a service building. It has continued to serve in this capacity ever since, having undergone renovations on various occasions. Completed after a gap of roughly six years, the new building filled the administrative void left by the 1956 fire and has since remained the central seat of the Çorum Governorate.
Tarihi Çorum Konağı: a reconstruction project (2026)
Çorum Municipality has launched the “Tarihi Çorum Konağı” (Historic Çorum Mansion) project for a new building inspired by the Old Government House lost in the 1956 fire. According to Yayla Haber, which reported the municipality’s announcement, the mansion is to stand next to the Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami) on the Tarihi Çorum Meydanı (Historic Çorum Square), laid out around Hürriyet Meydanı and the Grand Mosque; it will not be an exact copy of the old building but is designed with inspiration from its architectural character. Mayor Halil İbrahim Aşgın described the project as rebuilding the old government house “by modernising its former architecture” and said: “We did not want to make an exact replica, but we took our inspiration from the earlier mansion” (Yayla Haber, 4 September 2026).
The foundation was laid at a ceremony on 5 September 2026. According to Çorum Haber, the building is going up opposite the Grand Mosque on the Tarihi Kent Meydanı (Historic City Square), in place of a five-storey building in the Tarihi Ayakkabıcılar Arastası (historic shoemakers’ arcade) that was expropriated and demolished; at the ceremony Aşgın said the new building was designed with inspiration from the Old Government House that stood in the same area and was destroyed in the 1956 fire. As reported by İhlas News Agency (İHA), Aşgın also said that after the fire the site was put to various uses and for a time served as the central stop for public buses. According to Çorum Hakimiyet, the mansion is planned to be completed by June 2027; Aşgın said at the ceremony that its largest section would be used as a lounge for retirees (Çorum Haber).
Location and Related Places
The Çorum Government House stands at the administrative core of the city center. Those wishing to see the city’s other public and historic buildings may also visit the Municipal Building, the Çorum Clock Tower and the Çorum Grand Mosque (Murad-ı Rabi Mosque) pages.
Sources
- Çorum Governorate, “Hükümet Konağı Tarihçesi” (History of the Government House).
- Yayla Haber, “Çorum’un tarihi kimliği ‘Tarihi Çorum Konağı’ ile yeniden ayağa kalkacak” (Çorum’s Historic Identity Will Rise Again with the ‘Historic Çorum Mansion’), 04.09.2026. https://www.yaylahaber.com.tr/corumun-tarihi-kimligi-tarihi-corum-konagi-ile-yeniden-ayaga-kalkacak
- Çorum Haber, “Tarihi Çorum Konağı’nın temeli atıldı” (Foundation Laid for the Historic Çorum Mansion), 05.09.2026. https://www.corumhaber.net/tarihi-corum-konaginin-temeli-atildi
- Çorum Hakimiyet, “Tarihi Çorum Konağı’nın temelleri atıldı” (Foundations Laid for the Historic Çorum Mansion), 05.09.2026. https://www.corumhakimiyet.net/tarihi-corum-konaginin-temelleri-atildi
- İhlas Haber Ajansı, “Çorum’da tarihi doku canlanıyor: Çorum Konağı’nın temeli dualarla atıldı” (Historic Fabric Revives in Çorum: Foundation of the Çorum Mansion Laid with Prayers), 06.09.2026 (Yenigün). https://www.yenigungazetesi.com.tr/yasam/corumda-tarihi-doku-canlaniyor-corum-konaginin-temeli-dualarla-atildi-181665h