Ağzıkara Han

Ağzıkara Han is a historic Seljuk-era caravanserai in Turkey. It is located in the Ağzıkarahan village in the province of Aksaray.

History

The caravanserai is considered one of the most important and richly-decorated examples of ordinary caravanserais built by non-royal patrons.^[1][2] Foundation inscriptions attest that the covered/roofed section of the building was completed in June 1231 during the reign of Sultan Ala ad-Din Kayqubad I, while the courtyard was completed in February 1240 during the reign of his successor Kaykhusraw II.^[1][3] The patron who commissioned the construction was named Mes’ud, son of Abdullah.^[1][3]

Architecture

Like other major caravanserais of this period, it consists of two sections: one centered around a main courtyard, and an indoors section. The caravanserai is entered via a monumental entrance portal (pishtaq) projecting from the plain exterior walls of the building, with stone-carved decoration and a vaulted canopy of muqarnas. It leads to the main courtyard, around which are numerous chambers. In the middle of the courtyard is a small mosque consisting of a square stone chamber raised on four pillars and reached by stairs, considered an excellent example of this feature (which recurs in other caravanserais). The indoors section consists of a vaulted nave with a central dome (though the dome itself has been lost), from which vaulted chambers open on either side.^[1][3]

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  General view of the exterior
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  Details of the stone carving in the main entrance portal
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  The main courtyard with the elevated mosque
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  The mosque, seen from its entrance side
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  The entrance portal of the covered or indoors section
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  The interior of the covered section
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  The base and muqarnas-carved squinches of the central dome in the covered section (the dome itself has been lost)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ağzıkara Han.