Baltalimanı Palace: A Historical and Medical Legacy
Baltalimanı Palace was built in the first half of the 19th century by Grand Vizier Mustafa Reşit Pasha (1800–1858) as a two-story stone structure covering an area of 1,600 square meters. The building was allocated as a residence for Galip Pasha, the son of Mustafa Reşit Pasha, who was married to Sultan Abdülmecid's daughter, Fatma Sultan. After Galip Pasha's death, the Treasury purchased the palace.
During Mustafa Reşit Pasha’s tenure as Minister of Foreign Affairs, the palace became the site of significant commercial agreements, starting with the 1838 treaty with Britain, followed by similar agreements with Belgium and France. These agreements played a crucial role in the financial decline of the Ottoman Empire and became known in history as the Baltalimanı Agreement. In 1887, Sultan Abdulhamid II allocated the palace to his younger sister, Mediha Sultan.
After Mediha Sultan married Ferit Bey, the Secretary of the Ottoman Embassy in London (later known as Grand Vizier Damat Ferit Pasha), the building became known as Damat Ferit Pasha Palace and was used as a summer residence until 1922.
Transition to a Medical Institution
During the early years of the Republic, the palace remained abandoned, suffering damage due to exposure to rain and environmental factors. The ceiling textures, gilded and decorated surfaces, and plaster deteriorated, while the coastal and pier protections were destroyed. The palace was later repurposed and used as a Fisheries Institute under the Ministry of Agriculture.
In 1943, the Ministry of Health took over the building, planning to establish an 85-bed Bone and Joint Tuberculosis Hospital. After the necessary renovations and improvements, the hospital opened on June 19, 1944.
In 1955, the hospital was renamed Baltalimanı Bone Diseases Hospital Sea and Sun Treatment Institute, and in 1960, it was officially called Baltalimanı Bone Diseases Hospital.
On December 21, 2001, the hospital was designated as a specialized training and research hospital by the Ministry of Health, becoming Turkey’s first and only specialized training hospital in the field of Orthopedics and Traumatology. Since 2002, the hospital has undergone significant renovations and modernizations through major investments by the Ministry.
Establishment of the Hand Surgery Clinic
On January 26, 2012, the Hand Surgery Clinic was established. Initially, on August 26, 2011, it started operations focusing on the surgical and non-surgical treatment of conditions related to the hand, wrist, and upper extremities.
On June 24, 2016, a protocol was signed between the Ministry of Health and the University of Health Sciences, granting the hospital University Hospital Research and Application Center status.
Current Capacity and Services
The hospital currently has 136 beds and consists of:
- Two Training Clinics:
- Orthopedics and Traumatology Clinic
- Hand Surgery Clinic
The hospital operates with:
- 7 Professors
- 2 Training Officers
- 7 Chief Assistants
- 24 Orthopedic Specialists
- 3 Hand Surgery Subspecialty Assistants
- 33 Resident Doctors in the Orthopedics and Traumatology Clinic
Apart from the training clinics, 24 different specialties offer outpatient services, staffed by 48 specialist doctors. Additionally, 15 specialist doctors work in Anesthesiology and Basic Medical Sciences.
Special Units within the Hospital
- Orthopedics and Traumatology Clinic:
- Spinal Surgery Group (Group 1)
- Tumor Surgery Group (Group 2)
- Pediatric Orthopedics and Deformity Group (Group 3)
- Hand Surgery Clinic
The hospital further enhances its scientific and medical services with advanced facilities, including a Motion Analysis Laboratory, Sports Medicine Unit, 3D Fluoroscopy, and Surgical Navigation System.