Fire Brigade Pavillion

Part of Ağa Kapısı, or the Residence of the Agha of Janissaries, the Fire Brigade Pavillion was built to monitor the frequent fires in İstanbul. The Residence of the Agha of Janissaries was largely destroyed in the great fire that started along the Golden Horn shore during the reign of Mahmud I (r. 1730-1754). As part of the process of rebuilding subsequent to the fire, a tall wooden fire tower was constructed in 1749. The tower itself was burnt down in the 1756 Cibali Fire, only to be re-erected in timber. The janissaries who were in charge of observing the fires in this tower were known as “köşklü” . Nonetheless, this precaution did not prevent the Residence of the Agha of Janissaries to be completely destroyed in a 1771 fire. The tower-pavillion seen in the panorama is comprised of a structure that has a square layout and a hipped roof, which is set on a square mass with oriels in all four sides