By Engin Dervişağa…….
By popular demand, I am delighted together with my colleague Qossay Eleyan to bring you a repeat showing of our interesting report on “Discovering North Cyprus” about the Buyuk Han (the Great Inn) which is the largest caravansarai (Kervansaray) in North Cyprus and was a roadside inn where travellers could rest and recover from the day’s journey.
The Büyük Han was said to have been built in 1572 under the auspices of Muzaffer Pasha, the first Ottoman governor of Cyprus, and was modelled after Koza Han in Bursa, Turkey.
Upon the British takeover in 1878, the inn was restored for use as a prison. It was used as the Central Prison of Nicosia between 1892 and 1903, when the prison was moved to a new building west of the Pedieos river. In the years 1900 and 1901, the British administration left the building and the shops at the back were extended up to the point where they met the road, with the permission of the Evkaf Administration. Between 1903 and 1947, the building was used as an inn. Between 1947 and 1962, it became a refuge for poor families where they could rent rooms cheaply.
This show will be transmitted on BRT2 on Monday 18th September at 19.00pm and repeated on Sunday 24th September at 12.20pm.
To go direct to BRT2 TV to watch these shows by live streaming on your PC at Cyprus local time click here and select the BRT2 channel in the viewing screen.
I also produce the Vox Pop TV show which features interviews with many people living in North Cyprus and this is screened on BRT2 on Sundays at 15.oopm and again on Tuesdays at 18.30pm If you wish you can also watch a number of my past Vox Pop shows which can be selected for viewing by clicking here
For Radio Lovers do also tune in and join me on BRT Radio on Saturday at 19.00pm for my programme Top Twenty which is compiled by DJ Bora and this show is repeated on Sunday at 15.00pm. We are transmitting this on 6.150 MH/z. Short-wave, 87.8 and 105 FM Stereo.
You can also tune in to live streaming of this radio show on your PC by clicking here and select FM105 Bayrak International.
Hi, can anyone answer to me how many tourists visit Bujuk Han every year?
Hello Hermine your question is very difficult to answer!
The Buyuk Han has two entrances to its inner courtyard and there is no monitoring of the visitors as far as we know.
That’s to say entrance is free and on any day your care to visit Butuk Han there will be many visitors eating, drinking shopping or just sitting and enjoying the sights.
kyreniacommentator thank you so much. I want to know the exact number of tourists visiting Buyuk Han every year, as I am writing a report about that caravansary, but if there is no concrete data about that I will miss it, thanks for replying, I appreciate it.
Thank you Hermine and sorry we could note give you the information you asked for