Tepebag Houses

Tepebag Houses

Tepebağ is a historic district situated on a hill in the old town of Adana, overlooking the Seyhan River from the west and located just a few steps away from Taşköprü. The area showcases traditional housing architecture influenced by various cultures. It is also significant as it was the site where the first settlers established their community in Adana.

Over the course of history, Adana has been rebuilt several times at the location of the Tepebağ Tumulus. However, the city did not experience significant architectural development until the mid-19th century. This was due to the nomadic lifestyles of the Turkmens and Yörüks who inhabited the area, as well as recurrent floods from the nearby Seyhan River, which often caused destruction.

Tepebag Houses

Prior to the late 19th century, Adana's housing mostly comprised one-story mud brick homes. However, the city underwent a rapid period of development during this time, marked by improvements to the Seyhan River and the emergence of the manufacturing industry. This era of growth had a notable impact on the city's architecture, with mud brick homes giving way to more durable two to three-story structures that still exist today and are known as Traditional Adana Houses.

Tepebağ's houses were designed with a mix of ground level, mezzanine, and main floor levels. The architectural styles of the buildings vary depending on the elevation and slope of the ground surface. Most of the homes were constructed using brick stacking or wooden structures, while modern buildings are often made of concrete and can reach heights of more than three stories.

The traditional architecture of the region is adapted to the hot and humid climate, featuring thick walls, few windows, stony pavements, and ground floor inner courtyards. The upper floors of these buildings typically have row windows with projections, corresponding to the local climate, and plain earth roofs with eaves that can fold back like a protective shield, depending on wind conditions.

The mansions located along the Seyhan River represent a stylish and traditional type of residential architecture. These buildings can reach up to four stories tall, with rooftop terraces that provide a refreshing breeze even on the hottest days. In contrast to the modest houses of the hill, these mansions occupy more spacious lots and are taller. They open directly onto the street without courtyards, taking up the entire space of a lot.

The earliest registered buildings of historical value are known as Row Mansions. Among them, the Hacı Yunuszade Mehmet Efendi and Bosnalı Salih Efendi mansions stand out for their unique design. In the northwest of these row houses, Suphi Paşa's mansion remains well-preserved and has been a museum since 1981. However, the building underwent significant restoration work following the Adana-Ceyhan earthquake in 1998.