Rüstem Paşa Kervansarayı (Taşhan)

Rüstem Paşa Kervansarayı is a two-storey Ottoman inn of dressed stone that the people of Erzurum simply call Taşhan, the Stone Inn. The building stands on Menderes Caddesi in the Fevziye neighbourhood of Yakutiye district, close to the western foot of the castle. The Culture Portal and English Wikipedia write that the inn was commissioned in 1561 by Rüstem Paşa, grand vizier of Suleiman the Magnificent. The TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, however, notes that the beginning and end of the inscription on the main portal are missing, so the building is thought to date to some time between 1544 and 1561. The tourism guide of the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism likewise records that the exact construction date is unknown because the inscription is worn. Locally the building is also known as Rüstem Paşa Bedesteni. The inscription above the west-facing entrance refers to the building as a ribat. A ribat is a type of defensive structure on the frontier where army units and their mounts were quartered. According to the Culture Portal, because Erzurum was a frontier city at the time, the inn worked like an advanced outpost housing some forty to fifty raider troops. As the Ottoman borders expanded towards Tbilisi and the Caspian Sea, lodging, shelter, stabling and trading functions were added to the building. Sources relate that the caravanserai once included a soup kitchen, a small prayer room, resting places, merchants' shops and sections for animals such as camels, horses, oxen and buffaloes, though some of these have not survived. The inn consists of rooms arranged around a rectangular courtyard. The courtyard is entered through two pointed-arched, vaulted gates on the east and west sides. The Culture Portal gives the number of ground-floor rooms as 32, while the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam counts thirty-one cells. A portico resting on thick rectangular piers surrounds the courtyard, and the cells line up behind it under pointed-arched vaults. In the middle of the north portico a deep iwan interrupts the run of the arcade. On the upper floor a corridor runs all the way around the building with pointed-arched niches on either side, which were later closed off at the front and turned into shops. According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, the original function of the upper-floor rooms has never been firmly established. The building underwent a major restoration in the 1960s, which sources associate with the year 1965. During this work the section adjoining the north wall was rebuilt from the foundations up, the west facade was brought slightly forward, and a room thought to have belonged to the caravanserai manager was left above the entrance. Sources also relate that the upper-floor windows were later made rectangular and that some openings were closed. Seen from outside, the most striking detail is the row of stone chimneys rising above the roof. These chimneys let you read from the street the layout of the rooms, each of which was heated by its own hearth. Today Taşhan is the workshop and sales centre of the Oltu stone craftsmen. Dozens of kinds of jewellery and souvenirs made of Oltu stone, above all prayer beads, rings and necklaces, are worked and sold here. When you enter the courtyard, we suggest looking first at the stonework of the porticoes and then at how the stone is worked in the workshops. The name Oltu stone has been registered as a geographical indication by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office. The journey of this stone from the quarry to the workbenches of Erzurum can also be followed in the district of Oltu itself. The inn lies within the old market fabric between the castle and the Gürcü Kapı district. It can be reached on foot from Cumhuriyet Caddesi or from the Gürcü Kapı side, and public transport from every part of the city stops in the centre. Taking a break here at the end of a walk down from the castle is the most natural way to round off a tour of the old town. Opening hours vary from one craftsman to another. At busy times the courtyard and porticoes can feel cramped, and the early morning hours are better for looking at the architecture in peace.