Büyük Han – the Great Inn
An Ottoman caravanserai from 1572: a two-storey gallery round a courtyard, a tiny mosque in the middle, cafés and crafts.
The Büyük Han was built right after the Ottoman conquest. Animals and goods stayed below, merchants slept upstairs.
Today it holds workshops, shops with local soap, lace and sweets, courtyard cafés and a small mosque with an ablution fountain.
Concerts and markets are often held on Fridays and holidays.
Tips
- Try Cypriot coffee and Turkish delight.
- Haggling is possible.
- Combine with Selimiye and the market.
Getting there
Old town of North Nicosia, near the Ledra Street crossing.
Prices, opening hours and entry rules change — check official sources before you travel.
Nearby
NicosiaSelimiye Mosque (St Sophia Cathedral)The Gothic cathedral where Cyprus’s kings were crowned, a mosque with two minarets since 1570.
NicosiaOld Nicosia: walls, Kyrenia Gate and Ledra crossingEurope’s last divided capital: a ring of Venetian walls, an Ottoman gate and a pedestrian crossing right in the centre.
Kyrenia and the northBuffavento CastleThe highest and wildest of the three mountain castles — almost 1,000 metres above the sea.