Çay Han

The Çay Hanı, also Taş Han, is a Seljuk caravanserai in the middle of the town of Çay in the Turkish province of Afyonkarahisar in western Anatolia.

Location

The Çay Hanı is located in the centre of the town of Çay, at the corner of Inönü Caddesi and Sinema Sokağı. Directly opposite on the other side of the street are the mosque Taş Camii (also called Sultan Alâeddin Camii) and the ruins of the Çay Hamamı, which belong to the han and were built at the same time as it. At this spot was the crossing of two caravan routes, which made the construction of a han sensible: from west to east the connection from Afyon to Akşehir and Konya and from north to south from Sivrihisar to Antalya.

Name

Whether the town of Çay was named after the han (the former name of the town was Iulia Ipsos) or the han after the town is unclear. The local population calls the han only Taşhan, Turkish taş = stone. An older, but no longer used name is Ebûl Mücahid Yusuf bin Yakub Hanı, after the founder of the building.

History

The construction was carried out on the order of the Seljuk sultan Kaykhusrau III (Turkish: Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev III.) in the years 1278 to 1279 under General Ebûl Mücahid Yusuf bin Yakub, the founder of the complex, which also included a medrese and a hamam. The building period can be read from an inscription above the gate. The han is thus one of the last Seljuk hans built during the Mongol Ilkhanate rule. W. Dorn, however, names the grand vizier Sahip Ata as the patron of the complex.

During the Ottoman rule from the 15th century onward the han lost its importance. At the latest from the 19th century the outer area – the “summer courtyard” – was destroyed and the building – the “winter hall” – was used as a grain store.

In 1844 the han was renovated for the first time under Sultan Abdülaziz; the collapsed dome was not rebuilt, but replaced by a glass roof.

In 1972 excavations uncovered the wall remains of a hamam that was located between the medrese and the han.

Although parts of the town of Çay were destroyed by the earthquake in February 2002, the han sustained only minor damage. From 2007 to 2008 a general renovation was carried out to make the han accessible to the public again. From 2008 a bazaar was located in the han, but it was closed again after three years. Since 2013 the han has served as a restaurant.

Architecture

The architect is given on the inscription above the entrance as Oğul Beğ bin Mehmet. The han originally consisted of two connected structures, the “Summer Courtyard” and the “Winter Hall”. The caravanserai is oriented from north to south. From the northern Summer Courtyard only the outer walls are partially visible today. According to the drawings of Kurt Erdmann the Summer Courtyard was 30 m wide and 35 m long.

The Winter Hall is notable for its square floor plan of about 26 m external length; it is therefore the only square seldjukhan. The outer walls are reinforced on the west, east and south sides as well as on the southeast and southwest corners by triangular external buttresses, resembling those of the Ertokuş han. The outer walls consist of mortared unhewn stones. Light enters through three gun‑port‑like windows in the southern part and through a similar window on each of the east and west sides, as well as through the glass dome into the interior.

Inside the han can be divided into three transverse aisles and five central aisles.

The barrel vaults are supported by 16 columns made of carved stone and bricks. The central nave is higher than the other naves and was crowned in the middle of the caravanserai by a dome, presumably similar to that of the Karatay Han. However, the dome collapsed and today a glass roof occupies that spot.

Art

Except for the entrance portal, the caravanserai lacks any ornamentation, even the typical muqarnas are missing. The entrance area is striking. Above the door there is a fan arch that is concavely vaulted. Under the arch, but still above the keystone of the bichrome portal arch, there is a depiction of a lion. A similar lion is also found at the entrance of the Taş Cami, built by the same architect. The portal arch consists of alternating gray stones and white marble. The arches inside are also designed in this pattern, the space between arch and ceiling is built with red bricks.

Inscription

Above the fan arch at the entrance portal there is, in the centre, a marble slab with an Arabic inscription. In German translation it reads: The construction of this caravanserai was ordered by the helper of the world and of the faith, the great Sultan Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev, son of Kilıç Arslan in his time – may Allah protect his rule – by his servant Yusuf, son of Yakub – may Allah forgive his sins – in 677. 677 corresponds to the year 1278 AD. An alternative translation reads: Under Sultan Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev, the helper of the world and of the faith, son of Kilıç Arslan, his slave, the poor Yusuf, son of Yakub, may Allah forgive his sins, the construction of this caravanserai was commanded in the year 677.

The tablet also mentions that the founder of the han, Ebûl Mücahit bin Yakup, also endowed the madrasa (today a mosque) and a hamam. The architect of the entire complex is named Oğul Beğ bin Mehmet.