The stairs, which were built in the 1850s, were built by the Kamondo Family, one of the most important banker families of the Ottoman Empire. Designed as a mixture of Neobaroque and early Art Nouveau styles, the braid-like staircase was built as a shortcut for the family's children to go to school comfortably. It is thought that the hexagonal shape was designed to prevent children from falling down the steps if they slip.