The Bosphorus coast is a glimmering region of sunshine and wooden houses. The ever-present sea bears pleasant witness to all who come, lodge, and depart, just as the city of Istanbul itself stands guard over all the Golden Horn. The region has seen many a conquering empire and fortune seeking migrant climb its shores in pursuit of bounty and new beginnings. These days the only invaders are tourists, and the only peoples threatening the rich cultural heritage the Anatolian peninsula are the Turks themselves. The Turkish push for modernity has brought progress to country corners and old quarters, but it has taken its toll on the design tradition of the Ottoman house, which even now cries out from the tomb of neglect.

The traditional Ottoman home is a rapidly vanishing feature of the Anatolian landscape, as Turks continue to seek out more modern conventions. It is still possible to find these primarily wooden constructions in Istanbul, Edirne, and other much smaller towns of the Anatolian hinterland. At first sight, the organic structures have all the charm and appearance of American frontier cabins. And yet, they are all the more fascinating when viewed as they are in fact - adaptations of nomadic tent dwellings.

While most traditional homes have a pitched roof and at least two stories – often a stone base and an overhanging timber-framed upper floor - rooms within the house are not strictly delineated, and instead serve multiple functions. Structural features and room arrangements allow for removal and re-storage of beds and dining tables, practices which intimate the prevailing customs of a nomadic past.

The classic Turkish home maintains a simplicity and purity of style all the while attesting to the particular refinement of Ottoman design. While exact architectural plan, building shape, and design motifs can vary by such factors as local and personal resources and regional topography, overall style and room arrangement historically has tended to remain fairly consistent across classes.

A natural tendency to emulate the styles used in the capital and other major cultural centers has always existed in Turkey. Ottoman houses have tended to be constructed of wood, and use of the material has had a strong impact of the look of Turkish homes, both inside and out. Defining the interior space of the home are often such features as artistic wood paneling, handcrafted screens, and wooden shelves built into the walls and delicately carved with arched niches for decorative storage space.