Name of Object:

Turkish Country Houses on the Bosphorus

Location:

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (Sharjah)

Holding Institution:

Sharjah Art Museum / Sharjah Museums Department

 About Sharjah Museums Authority, Sharjah

Date of Object:

First published 1838

Author:

Drawn by William Henry Bartlett; engraved by J. C. Bentley (William Henry Bartlett: 26/3/1809; J. C. Bentley: date of birth unknown, William Henry Bartlett: London; J. C. Bentley: place of birth unknown-William Henry Bartlett: 13/9/1854; J. C. Bentley: date of death unknown, William Henry Bartlett: off the coast of Malta; J. C. Bentley: place of death unknown)

Inventory Number:

SM2006-861

Material(s) / Technique(s):

Coloured steel engraving

Dimensions:

Height 120, width 175 mm

Provenance:

First published in Julia Pardoe, The Beauties of the Bosphorus, London 1838, facing page 40

Description:

This engraving shows the typical, wooden Ottoman yalis or summer houses built along the shores of the Bosphorus by high-ranking officials and members of the elite since the late 17th century. Designed to reflect both their location, making maximum use of the waterfront, and the taste and status of their owner, the yalis provided a welcome and comfortable escape from the congested city. Their interior, with separate areas for public reception and private family quarters, was furnished, with inbuilt cupboards and diwans, and decorated in the traditional Ottoman style. Only in the 19th century were aspects of European-style interior design and furniture adopted widely. The facades of the yalis were traditionally painted a deep rose colour, until European influence led to the adoption of pastel shades in the 19th century. The image was originally published in Julia Pardoe's 'The Beauties of the Bosphorus', published in London by George Virtue in 1838.

Type of Object

Coloured steel engraving

Citation of this web page:

Ulrike al-Khamis "Turkish Country Houses on the Bosphorus" in "Sharing History", Museum With No Frontiers, 2026.
https://sharinghistory.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;AWE;ua;57;en

Prepared by: Ulrike Al-Khamis

MWNF Working Number: UA 058