Sakiz house
Encyclopedia
Sakız house or Sakız type house is a traditional type of house in Turkish architecture which are proper principally to Turkey
's Aegean Sea
coast. The first houses of this type date from the 19th century, and many are still in use. They gained an increased level of popularity among secondary summer residence owners in recent years, and the modern examples that are built follow the traditional lines in varying degrees.
Sakız houses are concentrated especially, from north to south, in Bergama
, Foça
, İzmir
center and Karşıyaka
, Çeşme
and Alaçatı
, and more to the south in lesser numbers. Some sources place within the definition of Sakız house traditional residences that were built as far as south as Kalkan
and even in Karaman
in Central Anatolia.
According to the rather scarce methodical research conducted until present-day, Sakız house pattern is thought to have derived from Musandıralı houses constructed as of the 18th century in Datça
and Bodrum
. The word "Sakız" means "mastic
" or "gum
" in Turkish, and it is also the Turkish name for the Chios
island and the town. It is not established with certainty to which of these meanings the word "Sakız" should be associated with in architectural context.
They are distinguished with their built-in front entry and bare façades, on the which a bay window
or a balcony
of usually small dimensions is often found. The overall dimensions can be extremely narrow and the space is iaid out in a way as to accentuate vertical extension, assuring natural balance of air conditioning
and heating. Both detached and attached examples can be seen and they are directly connected to the street.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
's Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
coast. The first houses of this type date from the 19th century, and many are still in use. They gained an increased level of popularity among secondary summer residence owners in recent years, and the modern examples that are built follow the traditional lines in varying degrees.
Sakız houses are concentrated especially, from north to south, in Bergama
Bergama
Bergama is a populous district, as well as the center city of the same district, in İzmir Province in western Turkey. By excluding İzmir's metropolitan area, it is one of the prominent districts of the province in terms of population and is largely urbanized at the rate of 53,6 per cent...
, Foça
Foça
Foça is town and district in Turkey's İzmir Province.The town of Foça is situated at about north by northwest of İzmir city center. The district also has a township with own municipality named Yenifoça , also along the shore and at a distance of from Foça proper...
, İzmir
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
center and Karşıyaka
Karsiyaka
Karşıyaka is a district of İzmir Province in Turkey. It is part of the Greater Metropolitan Area of İzmir, in other words a metropolitan district, the second largest after Konak in terms of population, and it is almost entirely urbanized at the rate of 99,9 per cent, with corresponding high levels...
, Çeşme
Çesme
Çeşme is a coastal town and the center-town of the district of the same name in Turkey's western-most end, on a promontory on the tip of the peninsula which also carries the same name and which extends inland to form a whole with the wider Karaburun Peninsula...
and Alaçatı
Alaçati
Alaçatı is a unique Aegean town on the western coast of İzmir Province in Turkey, which has been famous for its architecture, vineyards and windmills for over 150 years...
, and more to the south in lesser numbers. Some sources place within the definition of Sakız house traditional residences that were built as far as south as Kalkan
Kalkan
Kalkan is a town on the Turkish Mediterranean coast, and an important tourist destination. The area includes many historical sites and many fine beaches ....
and even in Karaman
Karaman
Karaman is a town in south central Turkey, located north of the Taurus Mountains, about south of Konya. It is the capital district of the Karaman Province. According to 2000 census, the population of the province is 231 872 of which 132,064 live in the town of Karaman. The district covers an area...
in Central Anatolia.
According to the rather scarce methodical research conducted until present-day, Sakız house pattern is thought to have derived from Musandıralı houses constructed as of the 18th century in Datça
Datça
Datça is a district of Muğla Province in south-west Turkey, and the center town of the district. The center is situated midway through the peninsula which carries the same name as the district and the town .-Geography:...
and Bodrum
Bodrum
Bodrum is a port city in Muğla Province, in the southwestern Aegean Region of Turkey. It is located on the southern coast of Bodrum Peninsula, at a point that checks the entry into the Gulf of Gökova. The site was called Halicarnassus of Caria in ancient times and was famous for housing the...
. The word "Sakız" means "mastic
Mastic (plant resin)
Mastic is a resin obtained from the mastic tree . In pharmacies and Nature shops it is called "arabic gum" and "Yemen gum". In Greece it is known as the "tears of Chios," being traditionally produced on that Greek island, and, like other natural resins is produced in "tears" or droplets...
" or "gum
Gum
-Natural gums:* Natural gum, any of a number of naturally occurring resinous materials in vegetative species* Gum anima* Gum arabic, used as food additive, adhesive et al.* Cassia gum* Dammar gum* Gellan gum* Guar gum* Kauri gum* Locust bean gum* Spruce gum...
" in Turkish, and it is also the Turkish name for the Chios
Chios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
island and the town. It is not established with certainty to which of these meanings the word "Sakız" should be associated with in architectural context.
They are distinguished with their built-in front entry and bare façades, on the which a bay window
Bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
or a balcony
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
of usually small dimensions is often found. The overall dimensions can be extremely narrow and the space is iaid out in a way as to accentuate vertical extension, assuring natural balance of air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
and heating. Both detached and attached examples can be seen and they are directly connected to the street.