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A few hundred metres north of the Great Khan and in the same street is
the Kumarcilar Khan and dates from about 1570 A.D. There are numerous
shops and coffee bars which give a fine convivial atmosphere to the
place; an ideal place for tourists to saunte r and imbibe an old time
memory. The entrance to the Khan with its well known Asmalti kahvehanesi
seems to be the most popular subject for visiting artists.
It was the custom in the Middle Ages for merchants to group
themselves together in their respective trades, e.g. leather, cloth,
jewellery, spices and household utensils. Also, merchants from some
distant town would always favour a certain khan which eventually assumed
the name of that town. The Kumardcilar Khan, however, means the inn of
gamblers.
The inn has been beautifully restored, and what better place could there
be to house the Department of Antiquities for the Northern State of
Cyprus. Fig. 12 shows the interior courtyard and it demonstrates how
beautiful a building can be, without the elaborate carving in mediaeval
Gothic buildings of western Europe. This forecourt is the Moslem
equivalent of the cloisters of Bellapais abbey. The visitor will notice,
as is usual in these old buildings, fragments of Roman objects and
carvings around the old stables. An old Roman hand flour mill can be
seen in the forecourt, of which there are quite a number in Kyrenia.
The Department of Antiquities has been rejuvenated, and is now very busy
restoring those places that will attract tourists, so we hope that the
Great Khan will be on the top priority list for complete restoration,
especially that fine old entrance, now camouflaged by a clutter of small
shops. |
