Ottoman-era factory in Istanbul up for sale

The first match factory of the Ottoman Empire, built by French experts in the 19th century in Istanbul's Küçükçekmece district, was put up for sale by shareholding families for 70 million Turkish Liras ($8.3 million).

The factory, which has been idle for many years, was registered as a first-degree historical monument by the Culture and Tourism Ministry in 1991 and was taken under protection.

While the iron construction frame of the factory, whose walls have been destroyed due to negligence, remains intact, it is seen that grass is growing inside the building, whose doors and windows have been damaged.

But rails laid in the factory to carry the matches under the harsh conditions of the period have survived to present day without any deterioration.

The building, which is on a 15,377-square-meter land, is registered as a commercial property with an indoor area of 5,000 square meters.

The historic structure, which is used as a warehouse today, will be evacuated after the sale.

The price requested for the building, which is considered as one of the examples of Istanbul's urban cultural heritage, is 70 million liras.