If you remember anything from your high school history class about the Ottoman Empire, you may remember that it was full of palaces. The Ottomans loved to build huge ornate palaces throughout their empire and many still exist, especially in present-day Turkey. The Ottomans built more than just huge palaces for their sultans though, they also built miniature palaces for birds.
That’s right, if you visit cities that were part of the Ottoman Empire, you can look up at the exterior of an old building and see an ornate-looking tiny palace high above you. The Ottomans are known for their unique architecture and the mix of European and Middle Eastern cultures and influences. The architecture was designed to accommodate both humans and the animals of the region. The bird palaces are perfect examples of this.
Between the 15th century and the 19th century bird palaces were incorporated into many buildings as a way to offer birds a place to stay. And they have nothing in common with the simple wooden birdhouses we leave out in our backyards. These were intricately designed with windows, multiple spacious (for a bird) rooms, and ledges that served as short landing and take-off areas, while some just provided refuge from the elements and a place to rest, others were filled with bird food so that they could eat a nice meal too. These palaces are truly like staying in a 5-star luxury hotel… if you are a bird. The only thing missing is room service.
The Ottomans were Muslims, and that meant that they respected all living beings since birds, like humans, are Allah’s creations and should be taken care of. The Ottomans also believed that if they took care of their feathery flying friends, then they would be rewarded by Allah for their good deeds. The Ottomans went beyond building just fancy bird palaces since they also opened the first-ever animal hospital in the 1800s in the city of Bursa, which is in northwestern Turkey.
The animal hospital is called Gurabahane-i Laklakan and was built along the bird’s migratory path so that it was easy for injured birds to be taken there. The animal hospital mainly treated injured storks who flew nearby, but any bird was welcome to get treated there. The bird palaces were also built high up on the sides of homes, mosques, libraries, fountains, army barracks, inns, tombs, and public baths.
Bird palaces were placed high enough that they were out of reach of humans so that the birds could feel safe and not be disturbed for any reason. The little palaces were also built out of brick and mortar since wood would deteriorate and not last long. If all of that wasn’t considerate enough, the bird palaces were also placed along the walls so that they faced the sun and also avoided wind as best as possible considering the location of each building.
The birds that have flown over modern-day Turkey and other parts of the region that were part of the Ottoman Empire, live a life of luxury by being able to take a break from their arduous day flying by staying in a luxurious palace built especially for them. So next time you are on a road trip, and you stay overnight at a cheap roadside motel, don’t think too much about the birds in Turkey who get to live it up in luxury because you’d go mad with envy.
Here are more gorgeous bird palaces:
