Hışva Han

Hışva Han is considered the oldest of Gaziantep's surviving caravanserais, built in the second half of the sixteenth century, between 1563 and 1577, under the patronage of the Ottoman statesman Lala Mustafa Paşa, and standing in the shadow of Gaziantep Castle. Its name derives from the local word for cotton pod, pointing to the trade the han once served. The building is organized around a broad open courtyard, with rows of shops along its front, a bathhouse on one side and a space once used for pressing sesame on the other, a layout typical of Ottoman commercial inns built to house merchants, goods and animals together. Unlike many of the city's historic hans, it has survived with relatively little alteration to its original stone structure. Restored for modern use, it now operates as a restaurant and small hotel, allowing visitors to experience a centuries-old trading post firsthand.