It seems that Cumalikizik formed the backdrop for some movie or tv-series, because of its many old houses. This drew attention to the place, and its now under restoration, a protected site, all that. It snowed rather heavily but in summer this place will be crawling with tourists. People in Bursa told me they never knew it existed, until this moviemaking.

Bay windows on the first floor (and eventually on higher floors too) are common in 19th century civil architecture in Anatolia. In all medium-sized and larger homes, the ground floor was organised as a ‘service area’ (depots, kitchen, residence of the staff, etc.). The ‘harem’ (= private living area for the owner’s family), as well as the ‘Selamlık’ (reception room where male visitors were received) were located at the upper floors, beginning with the first floor.

The main room of the ‘harem’, where the women of the household spend most of their free time, was generally located at the street side of the house, and often had such bay windows (called ‘cumba’ in Turkish). These windows were (almost always) equipped with wooden grills: the women could easily keep an eye on what was going on in the street, without being seen by (male) passers-by. So, the ‘harem’ – a closed and sacred area, when observed from the outside – appears to have had eyes that observed the outer world (and did so without its knowledge).

Correspondent: J.M.Criel, Antwerpen.
Source: ‘Anadolu Mirasında Türk Evleri’ (T.C. Kültür Bakanlığı) 1995.