Cinci square

One block west of the Little Sofiya (Küçük Ayasofya) is the neat, modern Cinci Meydani square.

I was here a year ago; there were slums here. Now the area is being actively redeveloped, but you can still see a few abandoned houses around the square.

The center of the square is adorned with a large fountain made of white marble in an antique style, surrounded by circular paths.

The neoclassical facade of the Antea Palace Spa Hotel faces the square.

To the left of the hotel, you can see several houses from the Ottoman era.

A small house with a stone ground floor and a wooden upper floor.

A large wooden residential house with a brick basement and a high porch.

Judging by its size and exterior decoration, the house was built for a wealthy family that didn’t stint on ornamentation. In any case, I haven’t seen anything like it on the neighboring streets. What particularly puzzled me was the semicircular balcony with an iron grille, which clearly alludes to the European Art Nouveau (modern) style.

The wooden flowers on the roof overhangs and above the balcony windows are particularly eye‑catching. The beams supporting the corners of the upper floor are decorated with “caisson” carving and Baroque scrolls.