Öresin Han (Tepesi Delik Han)

Öresin Han, also known locally as Tepesi Delik Han (“the inn with a hole in its top”), is a caravanserai on the historic Silk Road route between Aksaray and Nevşehir, about 24 km from Aksaray.

Having no inscription, its patron and date are unknown; its architecture suggests it belongs to the Seljuk period. It is now owned by the General Directorate of Foundations and used for tourism.

History

Seljuk caravanserais were built roughly a day’s caravan journey apart along the trade route known as the “Long Road” (Uzun Yol), linking the capital Konya via Aksaray to Kayseri, Sivas and Persia. Funded by pious endowments, they offered travellers free food, fodder for their animals and lodging.

Öresin Han is a link in the chain of inns between Ağzıkarahan and Cappadocia. Its small scale suggests a stop where travellers took short breaks between the great sultans’ caravanserais.

Architecture

The inn has no courtyard and is built of cut and reused stone, with the entrance on the north-east. Unlike standard plans, two long aisles cross at the centre, where a dome stands, dividing the interior into what looks like four separate sections.

In each section the aisles are separated by three piers and covered with barrel vaults. There is no decoration at all — its austerity makes it a good example of the practical side of Seljuk inns.

Getting there from Neva Apart

Neva Apart is in Aksaray city centre, a few minutes’ walk from the Zinciriye Madrasa and the Grand Mosque; the distances below are measured from our aparthotel.

Öresin Han is on the Aksaray–Nevşehir road, about 24 km from Neva Apart — a 20–25-minute drive, on the same route as Ağzıkarahan.

Tips for your visit

As it is run for tourism, opening hours may vary. Plan it as a short stop with Ağzıkarahan on your way to Cappadocia.

Find the other inns of the Long Road in our guide to the Seljuk caravanserais.

Other places nearby

• Ağzıkarahan Caravanserai – Built in 1231–1240 for Mes’ud son of Abdullah, with a richly carved portal and a kiosk mosque on four piers — a Seljuk inn on UNESCO’s tentative list.
• Alay Han – Attributed to Sultan Kılıç Arslan II, said to be among Anatolia’s first caravanserais, known in Seljuk times as the Pervane Ribatı and restored with its muqarnas portal.
• Saratlı Kırkgöz Underground City – Beneath the town of Saratlı in Gülağaç, an underground settlement of galleries, rooms and narrow passages carved into Cappadocian tuff.
• Aşıklı Höyük – Central Anatolia’s first known village, lived in by 30–35 generations between 8200 and 7400 BC: early farming, terraced mud-brick houses and the earliest known brain surgery.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Sultan Han

Image credits

• The façade of the Öresin Han on the Aksaray–Nevşehir road – Falk2, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
• The vaulted central aisle of the Öresin Han – Falk2, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons