Approximately 200 years ago, Sultan Selim III (r. 1789–1807) commissioned a vineyard pavilion for his mother, Mihrişah Valide Sultan (d. 1805), on the slopes of Çamlıca. Upon the transfer of the estate to Sultan Abdülmecid (r. 1839–1861), the structure was gifted to his mother, Bezmialem Valide Sultan (d. 1853), who transformed the estate into a modern botanical garden by importing a wide variety of plant species from both domestic and international sources.

Following her death, ownership of the Validebağ estate passed to the Altunizade family. In 1860, Altunizade İsmail Zühtü Pasha commissioned a magnificent pavilion on the site, which he later gifted to Sultan Abdülaziz (r. 1861–1876), who was deeply impressed by its beauty. Sultan Abdülaziz had the structure demolished and commissioned the construction of the current building, which he presented to his mother, Pertevniyal Valide Sultan (d. 1883).

Around 1863, the pavilion was allocated as a summer palace to Adile Sultan (1826–1899). After her death, Sultan Mehmed Reşad’s (r. 1908–1918) third consort, Darrüalem Kadın, resided in the building until her passing in 1909, after which the building remained unused for a time.

During World War I, the building was converted into a girls’ orphanage known as “Darüleytam” in 1916–1917, administered under the Ministry of Education. After the proclamation of the Republic in 1924, the orphanage was closed, and the building was repurposed as the “Validebağ City Boarding School.” In 1927, to prevent the vacant structure from falling into disrepair, the Ministry of Education converted it into the “Validebağ Preventorium,” an initiative led by Mustafa Necati Bey. Here, children receiving medical treatment were also educated by appointed teaching staff.

Though previously referred to as the “Validebağ Pavilion” or “Validebağ Palace,” the building came to be officially known as the “Adile Sultan Pavilion” after the 1930s. In 1928, the attic was demolished and replaced with a solarium floor to expand the building’s capacity. However, in 1971, this addition was deemed structurally damaging and was removed, with a non-original pitched roof installed in its place.

In 1973, the building ceased to operate as a preventorium following the opening of the Validebağ Teachers’ Hospital. In 1991, under the recommendation of Istanbul’s then-Provincial Director of National Education, Turgut Akan, the building was repurposed as a Teachers’ Lodge and Cultural Center.

As ALBA İnşaat, we completed the restoration of the building between 2007 and 2008.