Buyuk Valide Han

Büyük Valide Han, located on the famous Mahmutpaşa Çakmakçılar Slope of Istanbul, was built by Kösem Sultan, the wife of Sultan Ahmet I. This place, which was a perfect inn for both merchants and craftsmen at the time it was built, has changed hands many times throughout history. Büyük Valide Han, which is one of the biggest inns of Istanbul, still houses countless shops today.

The mosque on the second floor of Büyük Valide Han, whose construction dates back to the 17th century, was used by Iranian merchants for a while, and commemoration ceremonies were held for Hüseyin and Hasan in the courtyard. More than 400 khans have changed hands and have undergone few restorations from past to present.

Before Büyük Valide Han, which has a very central location in the Istanbul Suriçi region, was built, there was the palace of Cerrah Mehmet Pasha in its place. In fact, Büyük Valide Han, located between Fincancılar Slope and Mahmutpaşa Çakmakçılar Slope, draws attention with its location on a ridge that sees the whole Golden Horn.

Büyük Valide Han, which has three separate courtyards in total, is located exactly within an area of ​​98 x 168 meters. This square-planned inn, which consists of two different parts, Küçük Han and Büyük Han, is built of neat cut stone. The flamboyant porches of Büyük Valide Han, where there are seven three-stage cantilevers, also attract great attention. There is also a passage opening to the other courtyard of Büyük Valide Han, where the third section, which faces Çakmakçılar Street and has a triangular courtyard, is smaller than all others.