“Reşad’s Place” Population:
Reşadiye is a pinprick of a place a short bus ride north of Datça. It has a pleasing late Ottoman mosque (1856) set on a small hill with fine views and a few old stone houses with unusual chimneystacks. But there would be little reason to come here were it not home to one of the most stunning hotels in the country, housed in what was once the early 19th-century Mehmet Ali Ağa Konağı. Casual visitors will only be able to catch a quick peek across the walls.
The Reşad of the place-name was Sultan Mehmed V, known as Reşad (1844-1918).
Mehmet Ali Ağa Konağı
Safranbolu may boast the largest number of restored Ottoman-house hotels but it’s Reşadiye that is home to the single finest example in the country. The huge Mehmet Ali Ağa Konağı was originally built in 1809 for one of the petty lords who ran the remoter outposts of the Ottoman heartlands more or less without reference to Constantinople (İstanbul).
Bought as a ruin in 2002 by Mehmet Pir, a businessman with a passion for the past, it was painstakingly restored with attention paid to every last detail, right down to the 70,000 hand-made nails used in the repairs. A stay here will be a dream come true for the lucky guests who land a room in the main building rather than the modern annexe.
Tel: 0252-712 9257
Transport info
In high summer there are buses to Reşadiye every half-hour from Datça via Eski Datça, reducing to one an hour for the rest of the year.
