A Cultural Center and Meeting Place for Art Lovers: Tantavi
Tantavi Inn, which is one of the iconic buildings and monuments in Konya, has been inactive for long years. After the restoration done by Meram Municipality, it became the city's culture and art center and the meeting place for art-lovers.
Mayor Kavuş stated that Tantavi Culture and Art Centre impressed both the artists and the visitors in every event with its historic atmosphere, authentic structure and successful restoration. Tantavi Inn, which was restorated by Meram Municipality, has contributed to the city's both culture/art and social life with its authentic historical structure since the opening. The centre was opened on the anniversary day of 15th July Democracy and National Unity day and since then, it has hosted many important events and valuable guests.
TANTAVİ HOSTED IMPORTANT EVENTS
Since the opening, the centre has hosted various important events and guests such as; The Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın, the last prime minister Binali Yıldırım, writer Fatih Çolak in many conversations, famous photographers like the master photographer Ozan Sağdıç in different exhibitions about classical Turkish-Islamic Arts, calligraphy and paper marbling; memorials, celebrations for teachers' day and international day of people with disabilities; award ceremonies, quiz shows and mini concerts. Thanks to these events, Tantavi has contributed and still contributes to the city's not only culture and art life but also social life. Moreover, Tantavi Culture and Art Centre got award of 'Union of Historical Towns Practice' because it is a successful example of restoration, it brings an industrial heritage structure in the city life with a quality, the project has a strong bond with the city, it makes a well transition between architecture and urban scale and it completes the future spatial development frame of the city with the offer of functionalisation.
ABOUT TANTAVİ; The total area of the center, which serves with its basement, ground floor and mezzanine, is 1,510 square meters. Tantavi Culture and Art Center, supported by the Konya Governorship in the restoration process, contributes to the cultural and artistic life of Konya with activities such as seminars, exhibitions, symposiums, conferences and auctions. Moreover, there is a book cafe on the terrace floor of the center, which is called Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin Thematic R&D Center and Thematic Library.
History of Tantavi
This historical building, known as Tantavi's Warehouse and used as a warehouse for many years, is located in the north of Mamuriye Mosque in Mamuriye neighbourhood. With the arrival of the Istanbul-Baghdad Railway line to Konya in 1896, hotels and warehouses were needed near the station. The warehouse, which was built for this reason, was built in 1903 by Hafız Ragıp Efendi, the son of Nazilli's mufti. Since Hafız Ragıp Efendi had received the Quran education in the city of Tanta, located in the Nile delta and 94 km north of Cairo, this warehouse was named as Tantavi Hafız Ragıp Efendi Warehouse by the people. Tantavi Hafız Ragıp Efendi, who also had an office in Izmir, resided this warehouse in Konya cooperatively with his father-in-law; Sufi, poet and politician Abdülaziz Mecdi Efendi. Abdülaziz Mecdi Efendi was exiled to Konya by the government between 1903- 1906 and served as the commissioner of the commodity exchange in Konya. Tantavi Hafız Ragıp Efendi, in addition to his contribution to the trade in Konya, played an important role in the education of the city by training hafizes in Kapı Mosque during his time in Konya. Tantavi's Warehouse served the city for many years, and then served the city as a Cukurova grain storage for a while. The warehouse, which had been kept idle for many years after completing its mission, although it has survived until today, was expropriated by Meram Municipality on March 15, 2016. This precious building was restored with the efforts of the municipality and was presented to the public on 15 July 2019 as a culture and art center.
