The Büyük Han is both a wonderful example of Ottoman architecture and a rare surviving example of a medieval caravanserai. Built in 1572 by the first Ottoman governor of Cyprus, Musafer Pasha, it was renovated in the early ’90s, and has once again become the centre of the Old City’s bustle, with cafes, shops and traditional craft workshops housed in the small cells that originally served as the inn’s sleeping areas.
During the medieval Ottoman period, travellers and traders could find accommodation at these hans (inns), as well as a place to stable their horses, trade their goods and socialise with fellow travellers.
The central courtyard has a mescit (Islamic ‘chapel’) in the centre, which is balanced on six pillars over a şadrvan (ablutions fountain). This design is found only in this inn and two others in Turkey.
