The Former Ministry of Finance Building is a structure located in the Ulus neighborhood of Ankara and is currently used as the Rector’s Office by Ankara University of Social Sciences. It was built in 1925. The Republic of Turkey’s first Treasury Department was housed in this building.
The Redif Barracks, built during the Ottoman period, was demolished to make way for the Ministry of Finance building. The building’s original structure was built by Halim Mehmed and Engineer İrfan Bey; it attained its final monumental form through an expansion project carried out in 1928 by Architect Yahya Ahmed under the coordination of Engineer İrfan Bey. 1
Until 1937, part of the building served temporarily as the Prime Minister’s Office.2 The building was used by the Ministry of Finance starting in the 1950s and by the Undersecretariat of Customs starting in 2001.3 Additions were made after the 1950s. Following its restoration in 2017, it became the university rector’s office.4
On April 25, 2025, it was included on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List as part of the “Planning and Construction of a Modern Republican Capital” heritage site.
The building features arched windows, wide eaves, and facade decorations that bear traces of Seljuk and Ottoman architecture. The rear section was designed as a park leading down to Çankırı Street. This section features ornamental fountains and sculptures.
