Antalya's historic 1926 electricity factory faces collapse

The historic Antalya Old Electricity Factory, a significant piece of industrial heritage from Turkey’s Early Republican Era, is facing the threat of collapse due to neglect. Established on April 3, 1926, through the local initiative of Tevfik Bey, a retired Aleppo Defterdar, the facility was created to provide modern lighting to a city previously reliant on oil lamps and gas. The factory’s impact was so profound that the area first illuminated by its energy became known as ‘the place with lights,’ eventually giving its name to the iconic Işıklar Caddesi.

The hydroelectric plant, located in the Yedi Arıklar region of the Muratpaşa district, ceased operations in 1975 following the transition to a national electricity grid and insufficient water resources. Since its closure, the site has suffered from the theft of machinery and the removal of its roof in 2011 due to safety concerns.

Despite a restoration project being prepared by the Muratpaşa Municipality in 2012 and a restoration protocol signed under the coordination of the Antalya Governorship in 2017, no physical improvements have been made on-site. Today, only the carcass walls remain, representing a rare example of local civil initiative during a period when industrialization was primarily concentrated in major cities.