Traditional Turkish Houses - Real Estate in Turkey

By Justin Mays:

Traditional Turkish houses boast various architectural styles, while each region of Turkey has its own style of homes. Ultimately, durability, functionality, and aesthetics are the main requirements that traditional Turkish homes meet.

Furthermore, Turkey possesses different climates, and the houses in each part of the country are built to withstand the local weather conditions. In fact, the traditional Turkish houses provide foreigners a peek into the culture of Turks and their way of life. Stay with us as we explore traditional Turkish houses and what makes them stand apart from modern homes.

The Interior of Traditional Turkish Houses

Wood and stone are a combination of materials used to build old Turkish homes. We have examples of these dated homes in the mansions of Istanbul and the Mediterranean region of Turkey.

The interiors of the Turkish homes were arranged and designed to fulfill the requirements of daily life. Large windows were a part of these old-style accommodations, which also consisted of metal bars. Each room is adorned with handmade Turkish carpets and is decorated to facilitate the occupants' routine activities, such as eating, praying, sleeping, etc. Furthermore, cupboards caved into the walls, and open wooden shelves provided ample storage.

Types of Traditional Turkish Houses

Tradition Ottoman Style Homes

The traditional Ottoman-style Turkish homes are some of the easily recognizable examples because of their wooden and stone exteriors and sizable widows to fill the interiors with sunlight. The Safranbolu region of Turkey has Ottoman-style houses that give us an idea of life during the Ottoman era.

These houses were two-storeyed, and the bottom level was often used to house crops. Other rooms surrounded a central room, and these rooms were used as bedrooms during the night and almost doubled as living rooms during the day.

Yali Houses

When we talk about the Yali mansions, the city of Istanbul immediately comes to mind for its seaside mansions. The Yali mansions are the priciest properties in the Turkish real estate market and housed influential people and dignitaries during the Ottoman era but, at times, also served as summer houses.

These mansions are not just extraordinarily expansive but heavily protected and when on sale, are only sold to thoroughly vetted buyers.

The mansions have intricately designed interiors, massive rooms, high ceilings, and lush gardens surrounding the properties.

Further Reading: Captivating Cappadocia

Cave Homes of Capadoccia

Capadoccia is known for its uniqueness when it comes to its landscape, but the cave houses in this region are an architectural marvel. These homes have been carved into the tufa rocks and are heavily preserved due to their historical status.

Curious individuals wanting to see the interiors of these cave houses can book a stay at the cave hotels in Capadoccia.

Old Stone Cottage Houses

The old stone cottage homes can be found in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions of Turkey and boast one to two floors. The best examples of these cottage houses are the ones in the Kayakoy ghost village. They are also referred to as Greek cottages since Greek people inhabited them until the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923.

Ahsap Evler or Wooden Houses

These wooden homes are a characteristic of the Black Sea region and are often multi-story with simple architecture.

Modern Turkish Residential Real Estate

The modern Turkish properties still adhere to the traditional Turkish architectural styles while incorporating European design elements. Furthermore, the property market has sky-rocketed in recent decades due to the influx of foreign buyers investing in local properties.

The real estate in the Turkish market values durability and functionality, similar to the traditional Turkish houses, but also adopt contemporary elements of minimalism. Foreign property investors come to Turkey to buy villas, and apartments, not just for their low prices but for the optimal return on investment.

Apart from the big cities, Turkish towns such as Kas, Kalkan and Gocek are the most preferred among buyers for their elite holiday homes. Some purchase properties for permanent residence, while others do so to qualify for a Turkish passport and gain citizenship. You can connect with us for a free consultation regarding buying real estate in Turkey and obtaining citizenship.