There are several factors which determine the design of houses within the
expansive boundaries of the Ottoman Empire. The local house forms were
determined first of all by domestic traditions and way of life, also by such
factors as the climate, materials, construction systems and economy, much before
the Ottomans. South-Eastern Anatolia, Syria-Palestine, Egypt, Iraq and the Arab
Peninsula managed to preserve their vernecular architecture during the Ottoman
period. In Central Anatolia, where the main determinants are the climatic
conditions and available building materials, two different trends evolved: The
adobe (mud-brick) architecture dating back to antiquity , or stone buildings
which developed under Syrian influence. The southwestern border of the Empire
(Mora and the Islands) has kept the traditional Mediterrenean culture. The
Eastern Black Sea region has a highly developed wooden architecture. Eastern
Anatolia and the Iranian border are under the influence of Iran and Central Asia.

In areas where the Ottoman culture was fully effective, houses adopted all
the characteristics of the Turkish House, whereas in regions with a strong
vernacular tradition or where it was difficult to supply wood, the Ottoman
influence began with decoration and building components. From the 19th century
onwards the influence of the Turkish house became more apparent with the
adoptation of plan types and building methods in North Mrica (Egypt),
Syria-Palestine, Eagean Islands, Middle and South Eastern Anatolia and Eastern
Black Sea regions.
Centering around Istanbul and Edirne, the Marmara and Trace regions and a
wide coastal strip of Anatolia of present day Turkey are naturally within the
boundaries of the Turkish House. There being no established tradition of
domestic architecture, the Turkish House found root and flourished easily in
Bulgaria, in Dobrogea (Romania), Greek and Yugoslavian Macedonia, Theselia,
Bosnia Herzegovina and Albania, producing some of its most beautiful examples.

Several characteristics of the Turkish House can also be found in Crimea.
This can partly be explained by the keen interest the Khan, a relative of the
Ottoman dynasty , had for Istanbul.
In countries beyond the boundaries of present day Turkey,examples of the Turkish
house are either very few or have become obsolete. Nevertheless, it is possible
to come across some fascinating houses in some regions of Macedonia,
Bosna-Herzegovina, Theselya and Bulgaria; houses which today have no match in
Anatolia. As a matter of fact, when the subject is studied taking into
consideration the entire boundary of the Ottoman Empire, it is apparent that the
argument that Anatolia had any priority over the other regions is definitly not
valid. At the end of the 19th century, while the Ottomans were withdrawing from
these lands, the Neo-classical trends which were gaining influence in Europe
were primarily applied to traditional architecture and later to all new
architecture.
Researchers have divided the houses within the boundaries of present day Turkey
into several groups. The grouping is always done according to building
materials: e.g. wooden carcass, adobe, stone, massive wood. With
reference to Eldem's classification, regions with different types of houses can
be listed as below:

Black Sea coast (Amasra-Trabzon): Wood building; supports of
projections horizontal; initially with open sofas, from 19 th century onwards
with inner or central sofas.Eastem Black Sea (Trabzon- Coruh, Gumushane,
Ardahan): Divided into squares with frequent wooden bracing with single
stone infill; wide eaves; enclosed sofa. Northern
Anatolia (Goynuk, Mudurnu, Safranbolu, Kastamonu, Cankiri, Corum, Yozgat,
Merzifon, Amasya, Tokat): Wooden binding and mudbrick infill, supports of
projections horizontal; enclosed sofa.

Ankara (Ayas, Beypazari): Wooden binding; brick or mudbrick infill;
stepped overlapping projections; inner sofas. Marmara Region (Bursa, Edirne,
Istanbul): The characteristics of the Turkish house evolved in this region
and has influenced all others. For this reason, the house types of this region
have been taken up in more detail in the relevant chapter of the book. Western
Anatolia (areas bordered by Canakkale, Balikesir, Usak, Egridir, Antalya): A
stone

ground floor and a timber frame upper floor with mudbrick infill; supports of
projections curved or "bagdadi" (lathe and plaster); tiled roof; with
outer sofa.

Eagean Coast and Islands (Ayvalik, Izmir, Lesbos, Khios, Samos): Stone
build one or two story buildings with wooden or "bagdadi" projections
on the upper floor; latter examples under neo-classical influence. Bodrom (Marmaris, Datca): stone built one story; flat roof; cubic
form.

High plateaus of the Tourus Mountains (Akseki, Pozanti): Dry walls
with frequent bracing (mixed use of wooden bracing and wood planking). Mediterranien Coast (Antalya, Adatia): Wooden bracing; outer
sofa. Central Anatolia (Konya, Aksehir, Karaman, Eregli, Aksaray,
Kirsehir): Constructive mudbrick; flat soil roof; with courtyard. Kayseri
(Nigde, Erzurum): Dressed cut stone with wooden bracing, flat earthen roof;
with eyvans and inner and outer sofas. East of Kayseri, Van:
Constructive mudbrick; flat earthen roof.

Southeastern Anatolia (Mardin, Diyarbakir, Urfa, Gaziantep, Antakya):
Cut stone; with courtyard and eyvans.
Eastern Anatolia (Erzurum-Van): Constructive stone with wood binding;
flat roof; closed sofa.

Among these several types of houses the majority is within the context of the
traditional Turkish House. But those on the Eagean coast and islands, at Bodrum
or up on the Taurus plateaus, partly in Central Anatolia, Kayseri, Eastern
Anatolia and Souheastern Anatolia, usually have local characteristics and are as
much under local influence as they are under external influence, as far as
construction techniques and plan types are concerned except for administrative
buildings and some houses inspired by these, which reflect the characteristics
of the Turkish House. Nevertheless, in these regions, in spite of the
differences in detail of the timber frame construction techniques and the stone
work of the ground floor wall, the main materials of infill and cladding, roof
and eaves, projections and their supports, window shutters and balustrades,
fireplaces and chimneys, ceilings and other details, when conceived as a whole,
the character of the Turkish house immediately presents itself.