From the late 18th century onwards, Europe began to see a wave of inventions resulting from the Industrial Revolution. One of these innovations was the use of gas for urban lighting. Scottish engineer William Murdoch illuminated his home in Redruth, England, in 1792 using gas obtained by distilling coal. Murdoch’s invention was further developed, which led to the illumination of a street in London in 1807. This gas, derived from coal, became an integral part of city life. Known as coal gas, this invention rapidly spread after it was first used in Baltimore, USA, in 1817, and then in Paris in 1820.

Gas plants built throughout the 19th century shared a common technical setup. The coal arriving at the plant was crushed and placed into a sealed tank functioning as a distiller, where it was heated to temperatures of 1000-1200ºC by an external furnace. In the absence of air, the heat caused the molecules in the coal to separate, producing the gas used for lighting, primarily composed of hydrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide. The gas extracted from the distiller by special pumps was then cooled, stored in gasometers, and distributed to the city through pipes.

In 1856, the gasworks initially constructed behind the private stables of Dolmabahçe Palace for the illumination of the palaces soon increased its production to also provide lighting for Beyoğlu, Beşiktaş, and surrounding areas. Although the research conducted on the Dolmabahçe Gasworks, the first gashouse built in the Ottoman Empire, contains much information about the structure, it lacks details on the types of initiatives undertaken for its construction, the exact founding date, the sources and procurement methods of building materials, the content of renovations and expansions during the reign of Abdulhamid II (1876-1909), and the designer-architect of the second gasometer, which still stands and was constructed between 1892 and 1893. New documents identified in the Ottoman archives clarify these questions.

The period from 1856 to 1892 represents the first period of the structure. During this period, the initial gasworks, built with domestic production at the Zeytinburnu Factory, had a small gasometer. The renovation and expansion of the gasworks between 1892 and 1893 marked the beginning of the second period, which ended with the dismantling and relocation of the gashouse to the Poligon (shooting range) in Kağıthane between 1955 and 1962. During the second phase of the Dolmabahçe Gasworks, a contract was made with the English company Barrowfield Iron Works to construct new gas furnaces along with the second gasometer. From the 1850s onwards, many European investors and entrepreneurs were seen to be actively seeking a concession for the illumination of Istanbul with gas. These groups, well aware of the sultan and his entourage’s desire for change and development, argued that the Ottoman capital should be illuminated in the same manner as European capitals. 

On October 20, 1852, a ninety-year concession was requested in Istanbul for the lighting of palaces, government offices, and streets by Baron de Schwartzenberg on behalf of a company founded by Belgian lawyer Lion De Roy. According to the prepared proposal, a gashouse would be constructed in Istanbul, similar to those in Paris, Brussels, and other capitals, with pipes laid to supply gas to homes, squares, and streets, and the necessary technical personnel and materials would be provided for these operations. If the Ottoman Empire wished to acquire the gashouse and its equipment during the concession period, a joint commission would be established after thirty years to determine the value, and the purchase would be made based on that value. Additionally, all goods and real estate acquired for the factory would be exempt from any taxes.

On February 20, 1855, three French entrepreneurs, Messrs. Degousee, Beaussier, and Guilbert founded a company and requested a license for the lighting of lamps with gas and the repair of water systems in Istanbul and Beyoğlu. In the draft proposal they prepared, it was noted that as of 1855, Istanbul was the only European capital not illuminated at night, and as a result, it lagged behind its peer cities. The illumination of the city was presented as a sign of civilization and progress. It was argued that night illumination would reduce crime, improve public order, and more effectively ensure the safety of people’s lives and property. The benefits of gas lighting also included facilitating the deployment of troops at night during rebellions and revolutions. According to the terms of the agreement proposed to the Ottoman Empire by Degousee, Beaussier, and Guilbert, the concession period would be thirty years starting from February 1855, gas production would be based on coal and be as powerful as the gas used in Paris, the location of the production facility would be determined and transferred to the company by the Ottoman Empire, and the factory’s construction would be completed in 1856.

Another early initiative regarding the gas lighting of Istanbul dates back to April 5, 1856. A company, founded in England with a capital of one million pounds and possessing international experience in this field, requested a 75- year concession for Istanbul and the major cities of the Ottoman Empire. In the proposal, sufficient land by the seaside would be allocated for the gasworks, coal store, and similar facilities, and no taxes would be levied on the equipment, machinery, or coal imported from abroad.

All of these initiatives preceding the construction of the Dolmabahçe Gasworks ended in a resultless situation. This is because the Ottoman administrators of the time believed that the gashouse could be built through domestic production. Studies on the Dolmabahçe Gasworks indicate the initial construction date as 1853. However, it was through the efforts of Tophane Marshal Fethi Pasha that a gashouse was first built in Istanbul, at Dolmabahçe, in 1856.

Coal stores were constructed in Kabataş for the Dolmabahçe Gasworks. In the early years of the gashouse, coal imported from England was used, but later coal from the Ereğli mines became the primary source. Two years after its construction, on May 11, 1858, new structures were needed to increase its capacity. For this purpose, additional land was purchased, and the necessary equipment was manufactured by the Tophane Müşirliği.

The Dolmabahçe Gasworks was transferred to the Şehremaneti (the municipal authority) by a decree dated April 12, 1874. The reasoning behind the decision of the transfer was that gashouses were under the authority of municipalities everywhere, and it was deemed appropriate to do the same in this case. During the transfer, all the equipment of the gashouse, along with its debts, were also transferred to the Şehremaneti. It was decreed that, in return for the expenditures made by the Hazine-i Hassa (the Imperial Treasury) for the Dolmabahçe Gasworks since its establishment, the gas used by the palaces would be provided free of charge. 

The disruption of the revenue and expenditure balance of the gasworks, which facilitated the gas lighting of much of the Beyoğlu, Beşiktaş, and Harbiye areas, increased the burden on the Şehremaneti. The maintenance and repair of the gashouse could not be carried out with the existing budget of the municipality at that time. As a result, the gashouse was integrated into the Tophane Müşirliği in 1890.

When the Dolmabahçe Gasworks was constructed in 1856, its gasometer and other components were produced at the Zeytinburnu Factory. While the gasworks, whose technology had become outdated over time, was being renovated and modernized during the reign of Abdulhamid II, a second gasometer was also constructed. An agreement was made with the Barrowfield Iron Works company on July 4, 1892, regarding this matter. A payment of three thousand pounds was made to Barrowfield for the installation of the gasometer.

The mineral coals used by the gashouse were brought by ships to the Kabataş Pier and stored in warehouses there. The coals transported from Kabataş to Dolmabahçe by porters would get wet in rainy weather, which reduced gas production. By a decision taken on September 11, 1897, a coal store was also constructed within the garden area surrounding the Dolmabahçe Gasworks. During World War I, the Dolmabahçe Gasworks was initially used as a logistics center by German soldiers (January 1917-November 1918) and later by British soldiers during the occupation of Istanbul (December 1918-May 1919). In 1955, a decision was made to relocate the Dolmabahçe Gasworks to the Poligon area in Kağıthane due to the construction of the İnönü Stadium on its site. The relocation of the Dolmabahçe Gasworks, which ceased production on August 15, 1960, was completed in 1962. Some parts of this historic gasworks (including a gasometer and pipe and condenser components) were left within Maçka Park.

Gasworks began to be a part of Ottoman urban life from the mid-19th century. Within the framework of the modern urbanism movement, the Dolmabahçe Gasworks, constructed in 1856, was the first domestic example of these facilities, where gas produced from coal was liquefied and stored for the illumination of streets and buildings. Under the management of Tophane Marshal Fethi Pasha, the gashouse quickly became not only a source of illumination for the Dolmabahçe Palace and its surroundings but also served civil, administrative, and military buildings within the boundaries of Beşiktaş and Beyoğlu over time. The illumination of other areas of Istanbul was provided by the Kuzguncuk, Yedikule, and Hasanpaşa Gasworks.The Kuzguncuk Gasworks, built between 1862 and 1865 on Baba Nakkaş Street in Kuzguncuk, was established for the illumination of the Beylerbeyi Palace. The Kuzguncuk Gasworks, which continued production until 1940, served the Beylerbeyi area and its surroundings. A gasworks was constructed in Yedikule between 1873 and 1880 for illuminating the historical peninsula. In later periods, the service network of the Yedikule Gasworks expanded to Eyüp, Bakırköy, and Yeşilköy. During the Republic period, it was incorporated into İETT in 1945 and ceased operations in 1993. The second gasworks on the Anatolian side was established in Kadıköy Hasanpaşa in 1892. The Hasanpaşa Gasworks,which served a wide area including Kadıköy, Üsküdar, Erenköy, and Bostancı, was transferred to İETT in 1945 and closed in 1993.

The gasometer, which remained after the relocation of the Dolmabahçe Gasworks to the Poligon area in Kağıthane between 1955 and 1962, stands as an important part of our industrial heritage within Maçka Park. Although it is no longer at its original site, this structure needs to be preserved from ruin and handed down to future generations. Since the 2000s, old gasometers in European cities such as Dresden, Vienna, and Leipzig have been repurposed as gasometer museums, exhibition centers, and entertainment venues. Drawing inspiration from these practices, the Dolmabahçe Gasometer should be restored and repurposed according to our own needs and priorities.