In addition to the palaces, villas, mansions and summer hous      es belonging to the noble families, state leaders and wealthy society members, the houses belonging to the people are also an important element in the appearance and texture of the city of İstanbul. These houses have an architectural style unique to İstanbul, despite some resemblance to Anatolian architecture. A typical İstanbul street is winding and crooked, lined with houses built directly next to each other. These houses generally have one or two stories and are either surrounded by gardens or have a back garden. Despite the edict banning the construction of wooden houses after the Great Fire of 1660, they continued to be built right up to the

Republican period.A typical house can be described as follows; A two-storey house above a fairly high basement level. The basement is built this way in order to provide for a few steps on the front door. The ground floor is closed to the street and this contains just a few small windows. A grille covers these windows.

The ground floor is not a living space but is used as a service area . The first floor just out over the ground floor providing a bay window known as a "cumba". It is designed so as to enable a good view of the street and is the living area of the house. Daily life is generally spent in the large room on the top floor known as the "Turkish Room" or "Türk Odası" by foreigners.

The interior contains platforms for a divan or sofas and there are a great number of windows on at least two of the walls. Besides being used for entertaining guests, relaxing, and sleeping, meals are eaten in this room. Food is eaten in the middle of the room from a low three-legged table resting on the floor. A hearth or oven and a small bathroom sometimes used for ritual washing, known as a "Gusülhane" are often found in this room.

The interior and exterior of the house are decorated with wooden embellishments and the eaves are also made of wood. Most of these houses have been destroyed and replaced by multi-storey apartment buildings and the wake of heavy migration to İstanbul since the 1950's, yet examples of the houses of old İstanbul can still be found today in Süleymaniye, Üsküdar, Boğaziçi, Kadırga and Koca Mustafa Paşa.

AMCAZADE HUSEYIN PASA MANSION

On the Anatolia shore of the Bosphorus, located between Kanlıca and Anadolu Fortress. The building was constructed in 1699 and is known as 'Meşruta Mansion'. It is the oldest Ottaman civilian architecture on the Bosphorus. Today   only the men's section salon remains of the mansion. This building is designed in a T shape with three projecting wings. Of wooden construction its main features are the brick red painted facade and the low windows. The interior is covered with painted and gilded panels and it is documented that the ceilings were covered with colorful decorations.

AYNALIKAVAK MANSION

Curiously this name translates to the mansion of the mirrored poplar.

Located at Hasköy in the district of Kasımpaşa on the shore of the golden horn. This mansion is all that remains of the Shipyard Palace, which was the largest of the shore palaces. In past times the Kasımpaşa slopes (from the shore of Golden Horn to Okmeydanı) were covered by coppices much favoured by the Ottoman Sultans. We do not know when or by whom the first palace buildings were constructed. According to Evliya Çelebi, the first mansion was built on the orders of Sultan Mehmet, the Conqueror at least 500 years ago. We do know that Sultan Ahmed I, Sultan Ahmed III and Sultan Selim III often stayed at this palace.

Shipyards, building up the to the shoreline, left the Aynalıkavak mansion inland when it had initially been on the waters edge.

Today the mansion's entrance is on the two storied inland side with the three storied part of the building facing the Golden Horn. The decorations around the windows, the mirrors and other ornaments of the audience hall with its raised boat shaped ceiling are the main features of the divanhane (large hall) section.

On the lower floor of the mansion is a research center and a museum exhibiting old Turkish musical instruments. The museum being occasionally the venue for concerts.

HIDIV MANSION

On the slopes of Çubuklu, within a large grove of trees, the mansion was built for the Egyptian Hidiv Abbas Hilmi Paşa in 1907 by the Italian architect Delto Seminati. The building- of completely western style, occupies an area of 1000 square meters. In the middle of the main entrance is a marble monumental, its stained glass ceiling reaching to the roof. There are in many parts of the building very elaborate foundations and pools.

By means of interconnecting salons the building forms a circle only being interrupted by the entrance hall. Rooms are located on the upper floor and the two large bedrooms located above the chimneyed entrance salon are without peer. They are especially noteworthy for the wall panelling and the bathrooms. Another feature of the building is the tower from which half of the Bosphorus vista can be seen. Ascending to the tower by elevator or stairs you come to a balconied middle floor and above that is terace open to the sky. This tower adds markedly to the beauty of the building.

In the 1930s on the Hidiv's departure from İstanbul, the mansion was bought by the İstanbul Municipality but between 1937 and 1982 it was rarely used. It was rented from time to time as the set for film making and unfortunately was damaged at this time as when film crews broke many of the stained glass windows. In 1982 the Turkish Touring and Automobile Club started restoring it and in 1984 it was opened as a hotel, restaurant and cafe.

HUBER PAVILION

Located on the Rumeli side of the Bosphorus, just south of Tarabya Bay, the Huber pavilion is a former residence of the arms merchant and Krupp Corporation executive, August Huber. Although the exact date of its construction is not known, it is surmised that the structure was the work of Italian architect, D'Aranco.

When the Huber family left İstanbul prior to the conquest, the real estate passed into the hands of various proprietors until the government took over the residence to be used as a presidential retreat in 1985. The pavilion is magnificent with respect to its sprawling acreage and palatial architecture. The grounds consist of a barn, garage, dwellings for the employees, vast gardens, and 160 acres of surrounding woods.

IHLAMUR PAVILION

Located in Beşiktaş, the Ihlamur Pavilion was built by Nikogos Balyan for Sultan Abdülmecid between 1849-1855 to be used as a villa for hunting and recreation.

The villa reflects the exaggerated and mixed architecture of the period. The building is composed of stone cut in a rectangular shape, and the exterior ornamentation is especially noteworthy.

The Ihlamur Pavilion was left empty and unmaintained in the Republican period but began to be used as the Tanzimat Museum in 1952.

The Ihlamur Pavilion was completely restored in the 1980's and, along with the garden found inside, was once again opened to visitors in 1987.

KÜÇÜKSU PAVILION

The Küçüksü Pavilion is located in Göksu on the shores of the Bosphorus. The Summer Palace presently on the site was built by Sultan Abdülmecid to replace a former palace which had been torn down. The construction was completed in 1856 by the architect Nikogos Balyan. The two-storey baroque structure is located on raised ground (Subasman).

The exterior is covered with marble, and decorated with rococo embellishments. The interior is also painstakingly ornamented. It contains a baroque staircase, a marble pool with a water jet and a fountain with a spout.

The Küçüksu Pavilion is now open as a museum.

MASLAK MANSIONS

Situated in Büyükdere Street at the cross roads between İstinye and Tarabya on the European shore. This group of buildings comprises of Kasr-ı Hümayun (Imperial Mansion), Mabeyn-i Hümayun (the Sultan's Private Apartment), Çadır Köşkü (the Tent Pavilion), Paşalar Dairesi (the Paşa Apartment) and also there is a lemon grove in the gardens. They were built during the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz (1861-1876)

The Imperial Mansion

The two storied building with attics is built over a basement. The entrance is flanked by columns supporting a balcony. All the room and salon walls and ceilings have painted murals.The mansion contains Sultan Abdülhamid's study and bedroom. It is used today as a Palace Museum.

Mabeyn-i Hümayun (the Sultan's Private Apartment)

This is a small, one storied building constructed of stone, behind which is a nursery containing rare plants. In the building is wooden furniture handmake by the Sultan Abdülhamid II.

The Tent Mansion

This is a two storied octagonally shaped building and is noteworthy because of the fine workmanship of the woodwork.

The Paşa Apartment

The single storied building contains the ornate hamam similar to those in other places.

SAİD HALİM PAŞA WATERSİDE MANSION

On the Bosphorus in the district of Yeniköy. The exact date of construction is unknown but in the second half of the 19th century, the architect being Petraki Adamanti. The mansion is two storied, but over a basement floor. In the north is the Haremlik (Womans quarter) and in the south the Selamlık (mens quarters) It was also known as the Lion Mansion due to the two lion statues in front of the mens quarters garden gate.

The interior is enhanced by the Ottoman and Egyptian style furniture and the wall and ceiling paintings.

Between 1980 and 1984 the Tourism Bank underttok the restoration work and for a time rented the gardens to a nightclub. The mansion which was also used as the Prime Minister's summer residence.

Partially burned down in 1995 and at this time restoration work is continuing.

SEPETÇİLER PAVILION

Located at Sarayburnu in Eminönü Square, the Sepetçiler Pavilion was built in 1643 during the reign of Sultan İbrahim. At this time it was within the boundaries of Topkapı Palace. It was renovated in 1739 during the reign of Sultan Mahmud I. All the imperial boats were moored in front of this pavilion. Also, Sultans observed the departure and return of the navy fleet from this pavilion. During the first years of the Republic it was used as military warehouse for medicine. It later bacame completely neglected until its restoration in 1980 by the General Management of Foundations.

Today it is being used as an International Press Center by the Press and Broadcasting General Management.

Glass Works

Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Istanbul had become an internationally-recognised center for the art of glass making. A Mevlevi dervish, Mehmed Dede, engineered a new technique of gilt glass, known as "Beykoz work," in which, under the light, the piece's colors turned a reddish hue. By 1848, on the order of Sultan Abdülmecid (1839-61), a factory-atelier in Paşabahçe was built. It was at this glass-making workshop that the methos known as "The Eye of the Nightingale" (çeşm-i bülbül), that of inserting colored glass pieces inside colorless ones, was developed. Vases, pitchers, cups and glassware were the principle objects decorated and designed in this manner.

SUPHİ PAŞA PAVILION

Located on Horhor Street in Fatih, the Suphi Paşa Pavilion, built in 1865, is one of the few stone buildings surviving from the Ottoman period to display secular architecture. The traditional structure on three floors has been decorated in a baroque style.  Taken over by İstanbul University in the 1960's, the pavilion is now the site of the Medical History Institute.

Cemil Molla's Electrified Mansion

Uryanzade Cemil Molla who held the post of Minister of Justice as well as the Anatolian Governorship during the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II was an interesting personally with great fordness for new discoveries and gadgets.

He had a towered mansion in the locality of Kuzguncuk built; renowned for its good taste, the mansion was designed in a neo-classic Islamic style.

The populace of İstanbul was forbidden to use electric lighting by the Sultan, the only exception being the Yıldız Palace. Secretly Cemil Molla had an electric generator installed in the grounds of his mansion and on the anniversary of the Sultan's accession to throne, while others were lighting their homes with candlelight, he turned on his electric lights. Called to the Palace for questioning, he coolly justified his behaviour by telling the Sultan that the only way possible to mark such an important celebration was to use the most powerful illimunation available. Not only did he justify his actions and opened the way for widespread electrification but also managed to find favor with the ruler.

In the mansion there was central heating, telephone, a cinema and photographic studio, all novelties of that era.

TOPHANE MANSION

In Tophane on Necatibey Avenue, adjacent to the Nusretiye Mosque is one of the most important buildings of the old Tophane Square. The building was commissioned by Sultan Abdülmecid and designed by the English architect William James Smith. Completed in 1852 the mansion was used as a reception venue for foreign dignitaries who arrived to İstanbul by sea. It was used by the Sultans when they visited the military installations at Tophane.

Many important events took place at this mansion. The Russian Tsar's brother Grand Duke Constantine was welcomed there by Sultan Abdülmecid. The 1897 International Conference which put an end to the Ottoman-Greek War was held at the Tophane Mansion. As was the convening of the International Straits Commission as a follow up to the Lausanne Treaty.

The mansion is parallel to the sea, rectangular and two stories high. On the exterior of the building there are baroque styled projections from the second story floor ledges. Internally the ceiling murals and marble fireplaces are the most striking features.

YILANLI MANSION

The Yılanlı Mansion, located in Bebek on Rumelihisarı Street, was built near the end of the 18th century and first owned by Reisulküttab Mustafa Efendi. The separate sections for men and women, 'haremlik' and 'selamlık', where parts of the original structure but only the selamlık section for men has survived to this day. The restoration done on this section has left the original outer sections intact through the interior has lost its unique and distinctive design.