Diyarbakır Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı House

Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı House – Cultural Museum
The house where the renowned Turkish poet Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı was born and spent his childhood was built in 1733 and later passed into the possession of the Tarancı family. Reflecting all the characteristic features of traditional Diyarbakır domestic architecture, the residence consists of four wings arranged around a central courtyard and is constructed entirely from black basalt stone. The building, with a ground floor and an upper floor, was designed in harmony with the region’s climate and includes summer, winter, spring, and autumn sections.

Originally planned as harem and selamlık quarters, the selamlık section was lost over time, and only the harem section has survived. The house is accessed through a narrow street via a single-leaf wooden door, while a second entrance with double wooden wings opens to the kitchen on the northern side. The kitchen, arranged as an eyvan, is located in the northeast corner, and a small hamam occupies the southwest corner. Decorative elements known locally as “cıs/cas”, used on the courtyard-facing façades, soften the austere appearance of basalt stone and add aesthetic vibrancy to the structure.

Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı was born in this house on 2 October 1910, and he spent his childhood and youth here. The building was purchased by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 1973, restored, and opened as the Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı House Cultural Museum on 19 October 1973, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye.

The museum displays several personal belongings of the poet, including his pen, comb, comb case, cufflinks, and passport.

The residence contains 14 rooms of various sizes, along with a kitchen, storage room, and lavatory. The most notable part of the house is the two-storey summer section, whose upper floor features a spacious main room—known as the “başoda” or mabeyn room”—preceded by a double-arched eyvan. This is the very room where Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı was born.

Expropriated in 1973 and restored the following year, the house has since served as a cultural museum. Today, it stands both as a remarkable example of Diyarbakır’s architectural heritage and as an important memorial site honoring one of the leading figures of Turkish literature.