starting from about the 17th
century, the Bosphorus shores came alive with the waterside mansions of sultans, pashas and aristocrats. Later on. rich non-Moslem minorities and ambassadors also began to build their summer Residences along these shores. Called 'yali' these residences were laid out lite traditional Turkish houses with some-slight differences. As the waterside mansions are generally reached from the sea, their seaside facades tend to be more ornamented. Similarly, as they hear the names of their owners they are considered major symbols of prestige. - By the 19th century, larger and more glamorous seaside mansions were built it with Art Nouveau and Baroque influences, A portion of these priceless structures can still be seen along the
Bosphorus shores.
The oldest of these is the Amcazade Huseyin Pasa Yalisi, which was constructed near Anadolu
Fortress in the year 1698.
Ottoman society did not utilize their seaside residences as we do today. Swimming in the sea became a social pastime only during the past century. The 'yah' in the days of yore were country houses that had vast flower gardens, whereas they were expressions of freedom for Ottoman women in particular.
During the years when the only means of transportation was maritime, the gardens of grand mansions extended back as far as the woods, whereas pavilions were also found in the foothills. Today, most of these waterside mansions, which were magnificent compositions, can be seen only in photographs and gravures. Naturally, these talk-of-the-town, wooden yalis of the Bosphorus have been put on the endangered species as they succumb to the ravages of fire and encroaching property.
