The Arslan Estate Was Abandoned After the 1938 Trading Collapse

The Arslan family occupied Arslan Estate near the fictional woodland district of Karadere in 1908, after Yusuf Arslan inherited the property from his merchant father. The household included Yusuf, his wife Leyla, their four children, and a cousin who managed household accounts and land records. The family income came from textile trading and agricultural leases, but changing markets and international economic disruptions gradually reduced the profits needed to maintain the large three-story residence.

The first warning sign appeared in 1932 when Arslan textile shipments were delayed and several buyers failed to pay outstanding accounts. The family dismissed garden workers, closed the upper guest rooms, and postponed repairs to the copper roof and courtyard galleries. By 1936, accumulated debts from failed trade agreements placed the estate under financial strain. After Yusuf died in 1937, disagreements between his children over inheritance prevented a solution, and creditors began legal proceedings against the property in 1938.

Following the 1938 legal settlement, the Arslan heirs left Karadere, with some family members moving to nearby cities and others leaving the region for work. The estate was offered through auction but remained unsold because buyers avoided the cost of repairs and unresolved inheritance claims. No restoration occurred, and no relatives returned to occupy the house. Records from the 1940s describe Arslan Estate as vacant, with deteriorating rooms, damaged courtyards, and overgrown gardens leaving the property standing empty.