1 INTRODUCTION Stratonikeia is a multi-layered historical settlement which displays distinguishing togetherness of an- cient remains and vernacular houses within a mag- nificent natural landscape. The settlement is located at Yatağan district of Muğla province on the west of Turkey. This rural area is 37 km far from the city center and surrounded by hills on the south and a coal mine on the north side (Fig.1). Figure 1. Location of Stratonikeia (Credits: Google earth) The vernacular village (Eskihisar meaning old_castle) is settled over the archeological ruins of Stratonikeia which is considered as one of the most important settlements of Caria Region at Hellenistic period. The history of the area dates back to Chalco- lithic period and it’s still possible to see the finds of Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods on the ex- cavation site. Thereby the rich ancient remains the site is acknowledged basically as an archeological site however it is proposed to be evaluated as a mul- ti-layered cultural landscape regarding the diversity of the heritage it comprises (Avsar, Genc, 2016). Vernacular houses are integral part of Stratonikeia no more insufficient than the ancient remains. The outstanding property of the site is the togetherness of various examples of heritage from different histori- cal periods. There is considerable amount of studies about the ancient remains However, the vernacular heritage of the site has not get the attention it de- serves yet. In this study, it is firstly aimed to evaluate the architecture of the vernacular houses of the site entirely, second underlie the importance of it in con- servation studies of Stratonikeia and third contribute to the documentation of rural heritage of the region. The methodology of the study is constructed mainly on site survey. The plan types, layouts and building materials of the vernacular houses were examined on-site and then analyzed in comparison with their similar in the region. 2 STRATONIKEIA The archeological research on the close region around Stratonikeia reveals that the area has pre- Vernacular houses of Stratonikeia: Architectural typology, materials and techniques O.B. Avsar Mugla Sıtkı Kocman University, Department of Architecture, Mugla, Turkey U.D. Genc Dokuz Eylul University, Department of Architecture, İzmir, Turkey ABSTRACT: The historical site of Stratonikeia is settled on the west of Turkey. It is acknowledged basically by its ancient ruins, however no more insignificant than the monumental ancient remains the vernacular hous- es standing on and nearby the site display distinguishing properties. This study aims to put forward these properties of the vernacular houses enriching the heritage values of the historical site. Vernacular houses are formed very primitively by native people under the guidance of illiterate builders, and with the help of simple tools and materials. Behind the apparent simplicity and beauty of them there is a reliable information- transmission system that works by the codes in the minds of the native builders. The aim of this paper is to decipher these codes by identifying the building patterns of the vernacular houses. Its contribution to knowledge intends to establish a holistic approach for the conservation and sustainability of Stratonikeia as a multi-layered historical site.