Kızlarağası Hanı

About Kızlarağası Hanı

Kızlarağası Hanı is an 18th-century Ottoman merchant inn in the heart of Kemeraltı and one of the oldest surviving buildings in the bazaar. According to its building inscription it was commissioned in 1744 by Hacı Beşir Ağa. As in other caravanserais of its kind, the ground floor was used for trade and the upper floor for lodging travelling merchants. The han was heavily restored between 1988 and 1992, when everything except the north wing was rebuilt from its foundations. Today it works as a tourist bazaar: its arcaded courtyard and galleries are filled with small shops selling a wide range of handicrafts, carpets, leather clothing and souvenirs. At the centre of the courtyard is an open-air tea garden, a popular place to rest over a Turkish coffee or tea between visits to the surrounding streets of Kemeraltı. Good to know: - The han sits a short walk inland from Konak Square and the Clock Tower. - Shops are independent and set their own opening hours.