Centuries old caravanserai in southeast Türkiye turns into a museum

Named after isot, which is a special dried red pepper from southeastern Türkiye's Sanliurfa, the museum will showcase various spices from across the world, including India and China.

The cervansarai prepares to host its first guests in the spring 2022.
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The cervansarai prepares to host its first guests in the spring 2022.

An 800-year-old caravanserai belonging to the Ayyubid period in southeastern Sanliurfa province of Türkiye will be transformed into a museum where all the different types of pepper seeds in the world will be on display.

Han el Barur caravanserai, whose restoration was completed in the Harran district of the city in 2018, will serve as the "Isot Museum." 

Harran District Governor Cihat Koc said that a successful restoration work has been completed in Han el Barur.  

He said they will continue to work to give the historical building a permanent functionality and to transform it into an isot museum, open-air hotel and accommodation centre.

"We are working to make Han el Barur functional not only with itself but for the entire region," he added.

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The structure is the only known Ayyubid caravanserai survived within the borders of Anatolia.

Showcasing peppers from around the world

Named after isot, which is a special dried red pepper from southeastern Türkiye's Sanliurfa, the museum will showcase various spices from across the world, including India and China.

Koc said that they wanted to prepare the site as a world-class museum.

Caravanserais were described as large guest houses or roadside inns, designed for travelling merchants and their caravans to provide overnight housing in the past.

"We also have the purpose of using Han el Barur for its original purpose. The caravanserai was in the middle of a tourism route which was an important cross-road on the Silk Road routes in the past," Koc said.

"It is also a popular destination in the centre of Harran along with the Bazda caves, the ancient cities of Shu'ayb, Sogmatar, Karahantepe and Sefertepe in the present day. Therefore, the inn will also be functional as a complex that can serve our guests and tourists as an accommodation and resting facility," he added.

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There is a large courtyard in the middle of the caravanserai with 10 gates opening into it.

According to the inscription on its entrance door, Han el Barur was commissioned by Husameddin Ali Bey in 1219-1220 during the Ayyubid dynasty.

The structure is the only known Ayyubid caravanserai survived within the borders of Anatolia. 

There is a large courtyard in the middle of the caravanserai with 10 gates opening into it.

The project designer and scientific restoration consultant Assoc Dr Mustafa Guler stated that the restoration of the caravanserai was carried out according to its original form in the 12th century.

Noting that the building was abandoned for a long time, most of it was destroyed and the restoration work took about two years.

The caravanserai prepares to host its first guests in the spring 2022.

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