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(Old) Tarsus Houses
Due to geography and climate, combined with the regions socio-economic development and new settlement has meant housing has constantly changed, it remains almost impossible to find anything original. Despite this, the last one hundred years has seen a number of cultured architects work that we could mention. As the number of traditional type buildings decreases almost daily, the ratio of those that can be saved dwindle. (Picture). Of the houses that can be saved, the largest portion are found in the districts that were formerly surrounded by the city walls; neighborhoods such as Cami-i Nur, Tekke, Sofular, Kızılmurat, Tabakhane, Şehit Kerim, and Eski Ömerli Districts whose names have remained the same for a long time. Despite the buildings being partially under protection, new construction projects often leave these houses isolated from the others of their type. Those that have survived have in the last twenty years mostly undergone major internal renovations to areas such as bathrooms, toilets and kitchens. Although large portions of the external stone surfaces have been preserved, the original sod roofs have all been replaced with either clay tiles or metal sheeting. The narrow roads, bordered on either side by buildings made of stone, sun dried brick and wooden latticework, reflect a balanced harmony. The two major types of traditional houses found in Tarsus had their ground floors used as stores and shops. Houses of the Anatolian interior type had high ceilings to aid the raising of animals and to store the crops of cotton that where harvested regionally. Often the wide working areas of the houses were divided to provide more room for those living in the building. Every house possessed an internal courtyard of some description, either small or large. Also commonly found was a small garden. A good portion of a person’s life was spent living in the spacious airy rooms hidden behind the high outer walls.
For a long time the side door of individual buildings has had a strong influence on the traditional Tarsus house model. Although the house’s interiors were often very plain, the entrances were often richly decorated with intricate geometrical or floral designs.
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