There is a very special look to the upstairs overhanging windows of many old Turkish style houses. The windows, similar to what we call a bay window were placed that way so the women in the house could look out and see what was going on without actually being seen. These are some we saw down a little side street during our visit to Nicosia Cyprus last year (2014)
Nicosia 2014
Nicosia
2014
Our Black Sea cruise that followed then took us to Turkey where we saw a splendid collection of restored houses located in Ayranci Street which is in an older part of Istanbul.
Turkish houses Istanbul
One side of Ayranci Street Istanbul
When we docked in Kavala (Greece) a very old city that was part of the Ottoman Empire for many years the place I really wanted to visit was the home of Muhammad Ali of Egypt.
A very old house built approx. 1780 complete with an exterior full of overhanging windows which has now been turned into a museum
Kavala 2014
The house of Muhammad Ali
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali_of_Egypt
http://www.imaret.org.gr/index.php/activitymenu/mohamedmuseummenu
The external and internal windows were glazed but the ones inside also had wooden beaded frames covering the openings to allow some privacy when the glazed window was opened.
Click on the gallery to enlarge photos
http://www.allaboutturkey.com/turkish-houses.htm
Linked to Our World Tuesday
Linked to A Lingering Look at Windows – February 2015
What lovely windows!
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They are something special aren’t they 🙂
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I love my home but interesting in how they live. Can’t imagine it!
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You are right about how interesting it is to see how people live round the world Germaine.
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As it is unlikely I will make it to Turkey or Greece, thank you for sharing your trip!
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Glad you enjoyed this post QBW – never give up – there’s always a chance to do anything.
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Nice windows.
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Lovely to look at in person Gigi – they take you back to previous times. I stood and looked and wondered about what was going on in the street when the houses were originally built
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I love these houses. Great photos.
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They really are eye catching (almost memorising) Dianne. I kept stopping and gawking – The Golfer kept reminding me it was rude to stare lol As I mentioned previously I kept wondering about all the things that might have gone on in the street years before I arrived there.
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Baby windows are cool, haven’t really heard of one with such a purpose before.
Those houses are very interesting.
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Built like that over many centuries for a purpose – traditional in that all the work places were on the ground floor with the living and sleeping rooms in the second story. The women were shielded from the community so the windows served a purpose by letting them see the neighbourhood without themselves being seen.
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thanks for sharing, interesting photos!
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History there to be seen Christine
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Love those windows – and imagining the lives of the women who watched from them. Thank you for these windows into other lives.
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They really are interesting aren’t they EC – to see streets of them very similar gave me a sense of community. Much of the old houses and streets in Istanbul are being restored so a lot of the front façades were covered as the renovations were taking place with the frontages to be revealed later
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Interesting post about windows. I do wish I had a bay window – not only for the wider view, but for the breezes from more than one direction. Thanks for sharing.
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That’s possibly another reason they were so popular GnG – all these areas have a Mediterranean climate with hot summers.
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I saw many old streets like that in Germany also. In fact one of the housing areas we lived in near Wiesbaden had bay windows in the living rooms of all the buildings. Mine was very convenient to watch my young daughters at the playground.
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Paula these windows were always on the upper floor – to screen the Muslim ladies from eyes that are not ‘allowed’ to see them.
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Different from bay windows for sunny tea or coffee sitting. Didn’t think about that. I just saw a similarity in style.
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Stunning windows! I also use the Chateau theme. You might pop over to see what mine looks like. I have seen so many varieties of it. It’s really fun how different it can loo on different blogs.
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I love bay windows and it was part of our long range plan to put one in our home here. That won’t happen now. I had no idea that they kept you from being seen when you look out them. The bay windows around here are more rounded.
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I think bay windows and charm and elegance to a building and these are beautiful examples.
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Gosh, I love those beautiful old buildings with their windows (and I love the idea of all those women sneakily keeping an eye on goings-on in the streets below!)
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How very interesting. I wouldn’t have known anything about this if you had not shared it. Great post!
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Interesting to know the history behind these windows. You see them in Malta too, but I’m not sure the reason for them is the same.
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This is so interesting! We didn’t get to see any houses that looked like that during our cruise. Turkey is a big country and there’s so much to see. It’s fun to see what we missed by looking at your posts.
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