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A few hundred metres north of the
Great Khan and in the same street is the Kumarcilar Khan and dates from about
1570 A.D. There are numerous shops and coffee bars which give a fine convivial
atmosphere to the place; an ideal place for tourists to saunte r and imbibe an
old time memory. The entrance to the Khan with its well known Asmalti
kahvehanesi seems to be the most popular subject for visiting artists.
It was the custom in the Middle
Ages for merchants to group themselves together in their respective trades, e.g.
leather, cloth, jewellery, spices and household utensils. Also, merchants from
some distant town would always favour a certain khan which eventually assumed
the name of that town. The Kumardcilar Khan, however, means the inn of gamblers.
The inn has been beautifully
restored, and what better place could there be to house the Department of
Antiquities for the Northern State of Cyprus. Fig. 12 shows the interior
courtyard and it demonstrates how beautiful a building can be, without the
elaborate carving in mediaeval Gothic buildings of western Europe. This
forecourt is the Moslem equivalent of the cloisters of Bellapais abbey. The
visitor will notice, as is usual in these old buildings, fragments of Roman
objects and carvings around the old stables. An old Roman hand flour mill can be
seen in the forecourt, of which there are quite a number in Kyrenia.
The Department of Antiquities
has been rejuvenated, and is now very busy restoring those places that will
attract tourists, so we hope that the Great Khan will be on the top priority
list for complete restoration, especially that fine old entrance, now
camouflaged by a clutter of small shops.
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