The Seljuk Han of Anatolia

HEKIM HAN 

DISTRICT (IL)

44 MALATYA

LOCATION
The han is located on the Malatya-Kangal-Sivas Road, about 50 miles northwest of Malatya, in the middle of the town of the same name, Hekimhan.
[map]

OTHER NAMES
The han is known to the locals as the Taş Han.  It is also known as the Malatya Hekim Han, after the the doctor who donated it.
 

DATE
1218-20 (dated by the inscription over the covered section portal)
 

REIGN OF

This han was built during the reign of Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I (courtyard) and Izzeddin Kaykavus I for the hall. It was restored in the Ottoman period by the famous Mehmed Köprülü, vizier of Sultan Mehmed IV, in 1660.

PATRON
This complex was founded by Alaeddin Keykubad I's doctor Ebu Salim Ben Ebil-Hasan el-Sammas from Malatya. He also appears to have been a Christian, active in religious affairs (Hekim = doctor; al sammas  = deacon).
 

BUILDING TYPE

Covered with open courtyard (COC)
Covered section is smaller than the courtyard

Covered section with a central aisle and 1 aisle on each side running perpendicular to the back wall

6 bays of vaults
 

DESCRIPTION
The Ottoman period Köprülü hammam (1660) is located contiguous to the eastern wall of the han, and the Köprülü Mehmet Pasha Mosque is located 50 m to the southeast.

Facing northwest, this han is in two sections of undecorated stone. It consists of a square summer courtyard and a three-aisled winter hall. The center aisle measures 7.10m wide. The square shape of the courtyard is unusual, as most courtyards are rectangular.  It is surrounded on all sides by small rooms, even on the covered section side, which is again unusual.

Over the door to the covered section there is an entirely unique inscription plaque in three languages: Arabic in the middle, Armenian on the left and Syriac on the right. The Arabic inscription, written in large nakshi lettering, gives the construction date of 615 (1218). This inscription establishes the fact that the founder was a Syriac-Christian, states his profession and indicates that the han was built as a commercial inn for private gain.

Above the main entry door to the han (2.6m wide) is another inscription which states that the han was built during the reign of Alaeddin Keykubad, but no date is given (reign: 1220-1236).

A third inscription is found to the right of the covered section portal dating from 1070 (1660) and which concerns the renovation work. It was restored in 1660-65 under the orders of Sadrazam Abü Salim ibn Abıl Hasan Köprülü Mehmet Paşa of Malatya, the famous vizier of Mehmet IV.  The architect for the restoration was Hasan Ağa. 

Although it follows the typical plan of sultan hans, it has two unusual distinguishing features: firstly, it is extremely plain and almost devoid of decoration; secondly, the trilingual inscription in Arabic, Armenian and Syriac located in an inconspicuous part of the hall.

The mosque was probably a room on the courtyard, but following the renovations during the Ottoman period, its traces have been lost. There is a bath with accompanying furnace room in the northwest corner of the courtyard, reached from an outside entry at the rear.

DECORATION

There are numerous geometrical decorations and mason marks on the building stones. There is also a spolia stone capital over one of the arch springing on the eastern side of the central aisle of the covered section.

DIMENSIONS
1,700m2 (total internal area)
Area of hall: 550m2
Area of courtyard: 870m2 (15 wide x 17.5 deep)

STATE OF CONSERVATION, CURRENT USAGE
The han, in good condition, is located in the middle of the town, in the center of a nest of shops which form a small bazaar.  It underwent a major restoration from 2006-2009, and glassed-in shop-fronts were installed in the courtyard cells.  It is currently used by the municipality for various civic events (eg. the municipal Circumcision festival in August, 2009). There are plans (2009) to raze the small adjoining bazaar to allow a clearer space around the western area of the han.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

Acun, p. 104-121 (includes extensive bibliography in Turkish); 501

Altun, p. 200
Bayrak, p. 470
Bektaş, p. 130-131
Erdmann, p. 63-67, no. 18
Ertuğ, p. 78
Hillenbrand, fig. 6.41, p. 552

      Karpuz, Kuş, Dıvarcı and Şimşek (2008), vol. 2, p. 179-80

Kuban (2002), p. 242

click below for more views (2009)

Facade and main entry portal	Main facade	Facade, view from east	Inscription plaque over main entrance door
Courtyard, covered cells, east	Entrance vestibule, eastern side	Courtyard, covered cells, east	Courtyard, exit on western side
Courtyard, view south towards entry	Courtyard, covered cells, west	View north onto courtyard from entry	Courtyard, entry to covered section
Courtyard, view north to covered section entry	Courtyard, western side	Courtyard entry to covered section	Covered section, central aisle, view south
Covered section, view to east	Covered section, view to southeast	Covered section, central aisle	Covered section, central aisle
Covered section, eastern aisle	Covered section, western aisle	Covered section, fireplace in northern wall	Spolia in covered section central aisle, east
Trilingual inscription plaque over covered section entry	Trilingual inscription plaque over covered section entry	Trilingual inscription plaque over covered section entry	Trilingual inscription plaque over covered section entry
Koprulu Mehmet Pasha Mosque to the immediate east of the han	Bath furnace, exterior northeast	Exterior, eastern wall	Downspout, eastern exterior wall
Entrance to bath	Exterior rear wall (north) rear view	Exterior, view from east	countryside near Hekimhan

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