Historical ‘button houses’ become centers of tourist attraction

ANTALYA

The Sarıhancılar neighborhood in the southern province of Antalya’s Akseki district, known for its historical houses called the “button houses,” is becoming a tourism hotspot following restoration works by the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

“This place is like a movie set with these ‘button houses,’” Akseki Mayor İbrahim Özkan told the state-run Anadolu Agency.

The houses believed to be 300 to 400 years old are called “button houses” as the wooden parts of the scaffold used during the construction look like “buttons.”

“Every house, from its porch to its door handle, has a different tale. These houses take you centuries back,” Özkan said.

Following the restoration works, the interest of visitors has increased toward the neighborhood.

“The number of the visitors skyrocketed to around 50,000 from 3,500, which was at the beginning,” said Mehmet Orhan Can, a local.

He also noted that the number of visitors has been increasing rapidly.

Ümmü Arıcı, another local, expressed his gratitude to the ministry, saying, “Thanks to our state, my 400-year-old house is safe now.”

According to local authorities, the ministry has prepared renovation plans for 13 houses, and 10 of them have already been restored.

Thanking the ministry, Fatma Genç, another local, said, “We are glad to see our old houses to remain to stand.”