The Sea Mansions

The countless sea mansions that sit proudly along the Bosphorus Strait are more formatively known as Yalıs. They were originally and traditionally built of wood and were popular with wealthy owners who used them as second homes, especially for holidays. Today’s Yalıs on the Bosphorus date from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, making them an important part of the region’s history.

Yalı is the typical riverside villa from the post-conquest period. They are houses built on the shores of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus, and the Sea of Marmara, and whilst some were the size of a small fisherman’s house, others were the scale of grandeur as magnificent mansions and were even the waterfront stately homes of the sultans and the royal family.

Yalıs was the opulence of summer houses. The windows usually had to be large and low so that a constant breeze flowed through the house and a panoramic view of the Bosphorus was always possible. Furniture was made exquisitely and to measure, and the furnishings reflected the family’s wealth and connections.

If İstanbul is the heart of Türkiye, then the Bosphorus Strait is the soul of İstanbul. And although the Bosphorus is a familiar sight to residents and visitors alike, its beauty remains eternally breathtaking.