Although some 18th-century yalis were influenced by European baroque and rococo styles, it was not until later in the century that a self conscious style- Turkish baroque- emerged to systematically assimilate the imported styles into Ottoman tradition. Though the baroque yalis varied greatly in size and in the details of their interior decors, externally all retained the simple timber facades, tiled roofs and cruciform floor plans of the traditional yali.
The
upper-floor of the Sa’dullah Pasha Yali, which dates from the 1760's,
was based on an oval otag, or traditional Turkish tent. Holdings carved
and painted to look like ropes stretch from a wooden boss in the center
of the ceiling, "tying" it to the curved walls. An enclosed
musicians' gallery on the north side and carved doorways based on floral
themes further enhance the baroque effect. This salon is the only one
of its type to have survived.
Other traditionally Ottoman elements were also reworked in light of baroque fashion, which emphasized theatrical qualities. Painters decorated large niches in the four principal corner rooms and, in each, they painted stage curtains drawn back to reveal landscapes and idyllic Bosporus scenes.
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