Kumarcılar Han, Ottoman caravanserai in North Nicosia, Cyprus
Kumarcılar Han is an Ottoman caravanserai in North Nicosia's old quarter with 44 rooms arranged around a central courtyard in a two-story layout. Stone archways and traditional arches support the upper level, while the ground floor and courtyard now contain cafes and craft workshops.
Construction began in the late 1600s, possibly using foundations from an earlier monastery that once stood on the site. During Ottoman times, merchants stopped here for lodging and to conduct business during their journeys across the island.
Local artisans work in the restored rooms, creating and selling traditional Cypriot crafts that visitors can watch being made. This living practice keeps the building's role as a commercial and social gathering space alive, just as it was centuries ago.
The caravanserai sits on Asmaaltı Street in the old quarter and is open daily with cafes and workshops inside. Visitors can wander through the central courtyard, watch artisans at work, and take a break in a sheltered space away from the busy street.
The entrance door uses stones and carved elements from an earlier Latin building that occupied the site before the Ottomans arrived. This layering of materials tells a story of how different cultures have left their marks in the island's architecture.
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