Büyükçekmece Kervansarayı (Kurşunlu Han)

A 16th-century caravanserai at the head of the Büyükçekmece bridge, also known as Kurşunlu Han because of its lead-covered roof. According to the municipality it was built in 1566 as an enclosed caravanserai without a courtyard, with walls of alternating stone and brick courses. The wide central space was for animals and loads, and the side sections with hearths and niches were for travellers. It was one of the staging posts on the road to the Balkans; Evliya Çelebi stayed here in 1659. Repaired by the General Directorate of Foundations in 1965-1966, it now hosts cultural and arts events. The minaret of the Sokullu Mehmet Paşa Mosque stands opposite and the Sultan Süleyman Fountain beside it.