In the streets of Rethymno there are 37 examples of wooden bay windows protruding from the building’s upper floor. This type of window is called sachnisi (Persian for "seat of the Shah") and it was very popular in the Ottoman period from the Balkans to Asia Minor. It offered more space, more light, and gave the women a protected view of the street. It was made out of light materials such as wood and small stones covered with plaster. In contrast to the Central European oriel, which has its own roof, the sachnisi goes all the way to the eaves of the house. In the early 19th century, the newly established Greek state considered these windows as "Turkish" and forbade their use. When later research proved that this type of window was actually very old (ancient or Byzantine), it underwent a renaissance and was used extensively in the neoclassical architecture of the late 19th century.