Kastamonu, a city in the North-west of Anatolia and a settlement in the “Paphlagonia” region of ancient history, has always been a cultural and commercial center for the nearby villages and cities. In the nineteenth. century, the city became an administrative center for the province of Kastamonu (Kastamonu Eyaleti) which consisted of eight cities in the region. With the economic challenges the Ottoman Empire was facing, came the renovations and the changing lifestyle which led to a taste for a different architecture throughout the Empire, including Orientalism. The case of Kastamonu is interesting especially when one compares the architectural characteristics of the traditional and the nineteenth century commercial buildings. The traditional construction techniques, plan types and facades were no longer used for the new constructions in this century, but a new architecture was born. The paper presents a thorough research of the nineteenth century architecture of commercial buildings in the Kastamonu city centre. First, economic development of the city and evolution of the commercial center and its related buildings throughout history are summarized. Second, the traditional commercial buildings are identified and the nineteenth century commercial buildings are researched in detail. The existing buildings are categorized into three, according to their functions and corresponding architectural characteristics as size, level of articulation and diversity in construction. The research covers 29 historical commercial buildings, among them 12 shops, 8 small shops and 9 storehouses, which are thoroughly analyzed. The buildings generally have a rectangular plan scheme, covering the whole plot. They are masonry buildings of two storeys. Stone cornices between the storeys and under the roof level and wide eaves of the timber roofs are the main figures of the facades. Window and door frames are mostly made of cut stone and facades are decorated with Neoclassical and Oriental elements. The historic commercial centre of Kastamonu is relatively well preserved than most of other Anatolian towns. However, commercial buildings dating to the nineteenth century have naturally underwent similar losses in the historical fabric of the city in the last quarter of the twentieth century. Furthermore new structures imcompatible with the historic pattern and with the authentic architecture are increasing rapidly. Due to the pressure of rising financial profits at the commercial area, high rise buildings built on the flanks of the “Kastamonu Çayı” are threatening the “Nasrullah Complex” and other historical commercial buildings nearby. The historical commercial buildings in the area have lost some of their characteristics recently because of the unsuitable functions proposed and unplanned interventions. In conclusion, it is important to remark that the new structures must be controlled and commercial function must continue in this area, which has been used for commercial purposes for several centuries. Periodical maintenance is especially necessary for the old historic buildings and the visual chaos due to the signboards can be reduced to an extent. Received: 06.03.2007, Final Text: 12.08.2008. Keywords: Kastamonu; 19th century commercial buildings; urban conservation.