The Seljuk Han of Anatolia
Covered Sections
The covered section was the heart of the han. All hans (with a few exceptions) always had a covered section, with or without a courtyard in front of it. The covered section was located to the rear (or side) of the courtyard when one existed. It provided the security the travelers needed from the hardships and dangers of the road. The covered section was a closed space for housing merchants, their animals and goods, and it was here that all shared the same space, especially in the cold winter months. However, in the summer months, the merchants may have chosen to sleep outside in the courtyard. Merchants preferred to sleep next to their goods, in order to keep an eye on them, and the same thing could be said for their animals, their most precious resource.
Covered sections were generally longitudinal and were built with a series of 1-5 parallel naves connected with square piers and arches. The size of these sections varied considerably, but they generally had a symmetrical layout. The covered section was comprised a combination of stable area and raised loading platforms. Water troughs and feed mangers were located under the arches next to the stable area. The covered section was used for the different functions: there were areas for sleeping, stables, feeding troughs, loading platforms, etc. The majority of the “covered section only” hans have three parallel aisle, with the central aisle higher and wider than the side vaults. The wider central nave houses the loading platforms and the side one housed the stabling areas for the animals. Hans with five aisles are rarer. These naves, or aisles, run lengthwise from the entrance to the rear wall. In addition, the covered section can include cross vaults covering the naves. These cross-vaults are sometimes parallel to the naves and sometimes perpendicular to them. The vaults are carried by square piers connected to each other with arches, which forms a system bracing the piers and the walls. The system, called a backing line or a support line, is composed of one, two or four lines, according to the size of the han. The pier lines either connect to each other by arches perpendicular to the middle nave or run towards the rear wall. The number of perpendicular cross vaults depends on the size of the han.
The covered section was illuminated by small slit windows in the walls, about 2 meters above the floor, as well as a central lantern dome or oculi at the intersection of the various naves and cross vaults in the larger hans with five naves. These lantern domes conferred a monumental appearance to the exterior of the han, and could be seen for miles down the road. The windows were intentionally kept small so as to preserve the space from the cold and rain, but this made for a very dark space. Some covered sections had no windows at all. Various candles and oil lamps were also used for lighting, wither portable or affixed to the walls, such as the famous lion-head candle holders in the Alara Han. Heating was provided by braziers and tanduri ovens…and the warmth generated by the animals and humans themselves. Ventilation slits, 30-40cm wide, were spaced above the windows.
Recent excavation projects have allowed researchers to have a better idea of how these covered sections were built. Upon examination of the remains of the walls of the han, it is now understood that the covered section and the courtyard with its service facilities were not built at the same time. In Anatolian Seljuk period hans, the covered sections were built first and the courtyard was built later, probably within a short time frame. The covered section where the merchants lodged was finished first, followed by the courtyard where the rooms for han attendants and other service areas were located. This can be understood by the presence of construction joints between the two sections and different construction materials for each one. Although the covered section is the heart of the han and was built first, on this website, the entry portal and the courtyard will be discussed first, as it is the first section encountered by the visitor upon entering the han portal. But it must always be kept in mind that the construction of a han always began with the covered section first.
An important part of the covered section were the so-called raised platforms or “loading platforms”. These platforms, raised above the ground level, provided a clean area away from the animals.