The Turkish house

The Turkish House is a historic building in the old part of Bakar, a small Croatian port town on the Bay of Bakar in the Kvarner region of Croatia, a few kilometres east of Rijeka. According to local tradition it was built by a Turkish family, and its appearance sets it apart from the other houses of the town, which are mostly Mediterranean in style. It is one of the more curious corners of an old town that has a good deal of character.

Bakar’s history helps to explain how such a house came to be here. The town stands at the head of a deep, sheltered bay, which made it one of the best natural harbours on the northern Adriatic, and for centuries it was an important port on the routes that carried goods between the coast and the interior. It was ruled by noble families, including the Frankopan and Zrinski, and it was exposed to the movements of merchants, soldiers and craftsmen across the region. In the Ottoman era the Balkan interior was under Turkish rule, and contacts with Ottoman lands, through trade and conflict, left traces on the coast. A house built by a Turkish family, or in a Turkish manner, is a reminder of these connections and of how mixed the cultures of this region were.

The house stands among winding, cobbled lanes and old stone buildings, close to the Church of St. Andrew the Apostle, and it can be reached on foot from the harbour. Its design, with details and proportions that differ from the Venetian-influenced buildings around it, makes it popular with photographers, especially in early morning or late afternoon when raking light picks out the stonework. A visit is short and mainly a matter of looking at the exterior, since it is a private or restricted building, and it is easy to pass on to other places nearby.

Bakar has more to explore. The town’s drystone walls, built to hold terraces of vines and olives on the steep slopes, form a remarkable landscape, and the hill of Črni Vrh above the bay gives wide views. The bay itself, with its still water and the industrial and port activities at its head, forms a dramatic backdrop. Local shops and cafés in the old town offer a chance to sit with a coffee and watch the harbour.

The house suits visitors who like architectural curiosities, who are interested in the layered history of the Adriatic, or who are looking for a quiet, off-the-beaten-track town near Rijeka. While the visit is short, guided tours, where available, can add context, and it is wise to check locally for what can be visited.