Century-old houses in Sillyon to be opened to tourism

ANTALYA

Four century-old Yörük-Turkmen houses in the ancient city of Sillyon in Antalya’s Serik district are being restored to preserve their original architecture and brought into tourism.

Work is ongoing at the site, known in history as a city that Alexander the Great failed to capture due to its strong defenses, under the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s “Heritage for the Future Project.”

Sillyon, where life has continued uninterrupted for 7,000 years and which has hosted numerous civilizations, is also considered one of the cradles of civilization. Among its last inhabitants were Yörük-Turkmen communities.

Restoration works on the century-old houses within the ancient city have largely been completed under the leadership of excavation head Associate Professor Murat Taşkıran. One of the restored structures draws particular attention as it was used as the home of veteran Turkish actor Kadir İnanır’s character in the unforgettable Yeşilçam film “Köprü” (The Bridge).

Taşkıran, who is also a faculty member at Pamukkale University, said the houses date back to the early years of the Turkish Republic.

“We first registered the houses with the support of the relevant board and granted them the status of cultural heritage. Then we prepared and completed restoration projects. In doing so, we not only preserved these houses but also ensured their longevity by officially recognizing them as historical assets,” he said.

Taşkıran noted that the buildings have also been given new functions. “We turned one into a library, providing infrastructure for researchers in archaeology, art and history. Another has been converted into a digital archaeology laboratory, while one is being used as a guesthouse. Our aim is to preserve the Yörük-Turkmen culture here,” he added.

Emphasizing that Sillyon represents a continuous historical timeline from the Hellenistic and Roman periods to the Byzantine and Seljuk eras, Taşkıran said they are working with a sense of responsibility to protect and promote all layers of its past.

“We are gradually integrating Sillyon into Antalya’s tourism potential,” he said.

Visitors to the site can now also observe elements of Yörük life, including traditional architectural features such as hearth spaces and secluded sections.

Taşkıran added that all four houses belonged to cousins and highlighted the unique story of one of them.

“The house hosted the cult Turkish film ‘Köprü,’ starring İnanır, Necla Nazır and Fikret Hakan. We make sure to show this feature to visitors. We also contacted İnanır, who said he was very happy and proud of the restoration. We named the house the ‘Kadir İnanır House.’ Some of the people who acted in the film still live in the area, and visiting the house brings back their memories,” he said.