Sahip Ata Han in Phrygia

 

     

 

 

The Portal  
   

Sahip Ata Han (or Sahipata Han) is a Seljuk caravanserai. It is located in today's place Sultandağı at the D300 between Afyonkarahisar and Akşehir.

 
   

 
The Portal  
   

According to the inscription plate above the entrance portal, the west-facing Han was built between 1249 and 1250 under Sultan Izzeddin Keykavus II.

The inscription reads:
"Built in the time of Izzeddin al-Dunya, son of Kay Khosrau, son of Keykobad, by his humble slave Ali Ibn Husain".

 
   

 
The south side at the closed hall  
   

Built on an area of 1800 square metres, the Han consists of a classic inner courtyard and a closed hall. In the middle of the courtyard there is a free-standing small mosque with a square ground plan, rotated by 20 degrees, which can also be found in the Sultanhanı near Aksaray. The usual orientation to the north was achieved by the rotation.

 
   

 
The mosque inside towers above the outer walls  
   

 
The north side  

 

 

The epicentre of an earthquake measuring 6 on the Richter scale was at Sultandağı on 3 to 4 February 2002. Although much of the city center was destroyed, the Han was little affected. However, after centuries of decay, a restoration was urgently needed. Under the direction of Selcuk University in Konya, extensive restoration work was carried out in 2005. Much of the work involved restoring the mosque, which had to be rebuilt from scratch. The restoration work was completed in 2009.

 

 

 
 
The east side  

 

 

In the west wall of the mosque, sarcophagus fragments from Roman and Byzantine times came to light during the renovation work.

Little is known about the history of the settlement. Just like the town of Akroinos or Akroinon, as Afyonkarahisar was called in Roman and Byzantine times, about 70 km away. It is proven that the Byzantine emperor Leo III successfully defended the city against the Arabs in the battle of Akroinon in 740. The battles are said to have stretched far to the east.

 

 

 

 

Mosque and Ottoman Hamam behind the caravanserai

 
     
     
Photos: @chim, Monika P.    
Translation aid: www.DeepL.com/Translator    
Source: Wikipedia and others