Predominantly owned by Armenian families, Diyarbakır houses were made of black basalt and decorated with stone stencilling. They were divided into summer and winter quarters. In the summer part the eyvan was a vaulted room opening onto the courtyard with a fountain. During warmer weather, the family moved high wooden platforms called tahts into the courtyard for sleeping, making it possible to catch any breeze. Good examples are the Esma Ocak Evi and the Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı Museum .
