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Our Playmates
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The Story of the Giraffe Statue
After the inaugration of the Haydarpasha (Istanbul) – Baghdad railway in the late 1800’s, the areas within close proximity of the train stations became the most valuable plots of land. The Mehmet Münif Tahir Pasha villa, known as “The House with the Giraffe” was one those residences in the Erenköy district. The huge statue of a giraffe in the garden was a very popular object for the passers-by.
Mehmet Münif Tahir Pasha (1830-1910), has served as the Minister of Education and published the first cultural magazine in Turkey. In his studies, he focused on the education of children and has underlined the importance of the violations against children.
Unfortunately, over time, due to misguided urban planning , “The House with Giraffe” has been replaced with modern high-rises but the giraffe in its garden is now revitalized by erecting three giraffe statues on the Dr. Zeki Zeren Street where the Istanbul Toy Museum is situated.
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