The Eastern Inn

We are in Tahtakale, a neighborhood within the harbor in Eminönü, Istanbul. Tahtakale, the largest bathhouse of the Ottoman Empire, was built by Murat II in the 1430s so that the local tradesmen could wash and rest comfortably in the evenings.

With the zoning regulations that started in the 1950s, Tahtakale Bathhouse also underwent a transformation and after the First World War, it was connected to the Foundations Administration and began to serve as a bazaar. Tahtakale Bathhouse Bazaar, which remained empty for a long time and could not find tenants, had no choice but to rent the shops to companies that import and sell Chinese goods, as its new owner did not want the historical place to remain empty any longer.

The Han, known among the public as a ‘modern flea market’, currently serves as the Gift Bazaar Şark Han, where there are all kinds of products and no trace of its original appearance remains. The Han, which consists of 6 floors, continues to serve with 134 companies.

Photo Source: https://www.sarkhanonline.com/resim-galerisi