Taşhan, Mut: An Ottoman Caravanserai and Women’s Market
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.5
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Turkey
- Primary era
- Early Modern
- Eras represented
- Early Modern
- Civilizations
- Ottoman
- Site type
- Economic
- Remains
- Caravanserai
On this page5 sections
History
Ottoman construction
Taşhan, Mut is an Ottoman caravanserai in Türkiye, built between 1723 and 1725 in the Ottoman architectural tradition. It stands immediately south of Mut Castle and was commissioned by Hacı Sunullah Pasha, the mutasarrıf, an Ottoman provincial governor responsible for administering İçel. The han had no vakfiye, a legal endowment deed defining the property, income, and charitable purposes of a public or religious foundation.
As a caravanserai, Taşhan provided accommodation and facilities for travelling merchants, caravans, and their animals. After caravan traffic ceased, the building became a local bazaar. It was later occupied by craftspeople, including blacksmiths, saddlers, and workers engaged in tinning and soldering.
Reuse in the modern period
Taşhan had been out of use for about 30 years when Mersin Metropolitan Municipality and the Arslan family, its owners, reorganized it in 2020 as a Producer Women’s Market. The market allows women producers to sell agricultural goods, knitwear, and other products directly. It opened on 26 September 2020 at a ceremony attended by Mersin Metropolitan Mayor Vahap Seçer, Mut Mayor Volkan Şeker, and municipal and cooperative representatives. Folk musician Musa Eroğlu served as guest of honor.
Remains
Plan and sections
Taşhan has a rectangular plan and an Ottoman architectural character. The complex is divided into the han itself and a separate katırlık, a facility for housing mules. In 2020, the structure was renovated and adapted for use as a market, giving its historic spaces a new commercial function while retaining the complex’s two-part organization.
