Cumalıkızık Houses

Generally, the houses in Cumalıkızık have three story rooms; used by relatives to share them together in total cooperation and harmony. This village has 270 houses, which 180 of them are still in use.

The privacy of the families was the primary concern during the construction of these houses. The ground floor, courtyard and the first floors of these houses were built by rubble and wooden walls in total accordance with the flooring of the street. The framework of the upper floor is filled with half-timbered wall and covered with tiles in the Ottoman style. It is not possible to see the inside of the house from outside. Upper floors are decorated with bay windows.

Two types of layout generally are observed for Cumalıkızık houses. One of these is the exterior courtyard surrounded by a high wall built by rubbles. Passing through this courtyard, one will encounter the entrance door,which prevents direct connection to the street.

However there is no courtyard in the second type of these houses. Living section of the house is directly available through the street door. The outside wall is strengthened with a horizantial beam embedded to it and there is also lightning and ventilation. The living area enables accesibility to the inner courtyard, stable, storages and stairs.The entrance door of the house is opened to both directions. These wings of the door generally made of walnut tree are attached by wrought iron braces and nails with large knobs.Door handles and knockers are also of wrought iron. The construction of the doors serve for the purpose of easiness while carrying the products and vehicles of agriculture inside.

The living section is accessible from the outer courtyard or directly from the street surrounded by wooden columns on which the upper floor is perched on.

The ground is paved with flat and wide stones.Living section is the most widely used part of the Cumalıkızık houses. The productions which are reaped are temporarily stored, seperated and arranged there. Chestnuts are shelled there. Wedding ceremonies are arranged there. Also the supplies of the heat are carrefully stowed there. If the living section is higher than normal, a mezzanine will be constructed to store and keep the materials for a long time here.

The depots, kitchen, lavatory, stable, hut and stove are on the ground floor, where the most of houseworks were carried out. The first floor with a lower height, in where the bedrooms, siting rooms, baths and stoves are located and the households were resided during the winter months.

The second floor is used during the sumer months. Along the hall, there are rooms, eyvan( a vaulted room with one side open to the court), doorsteps and sofas. The main room is the most carefully arranged on the upper floor. The flooring of the house is made by using beams and veneers nailed on them.
Heating of the houses are provided by stoves.

The roofs with two or four inclinations are covered by the tiles of the Ottoman/ Turkish style.