This restored mansion, also called ‘Konuk Evi’, is since May 1993 the Guest House of the Şanlıurfa Governorship. It dates from c. 1890, and was built in stone, the usual building material for large houses in the region. The mansion has two sections: ‘Selamlık’ (where guests were received by the male members of the family) and ‘Haremlik’ (the private part, where the women lived and no men were allowed if they were not close relatives). The two storey Selamlık was built in a style that incorporated some modern (European) elements; the Haremlik on the contrary followed entirely the traditional architecture of the old Urfa houses.

On the picture: The (in ‘Art Deco’-style restored) windows in the southern facade of the Selamlık, giving a view of the inner courtyard.

‘Art Deco’ is an influential visual arts design style which first appeared in France after World War I, flourishing internationally in the 1930s and 1940s before its popularity waned after World War II. It is an eclectic style that combines traditional craft motifs with Machine Age imagery and materials. The style is often characterized by rich colors, bold geometric shapes, and lavish ornamentation. It ran to symmetry rather than asymmetry, and to the rectilinear rather than the curvilinear (unlike its predecessor ‘Art Nouveau’).

Correspondent: J.M.Criel, Antwerpen.
Sources: ‘Şanlıurfa Valiliği: Konuk Evi’, 1999 - Wikipedia & Personal visit (1999).