El Aman Khan is a historical structure located on the Tatvan highway of Bitlis, on the Rahva plain, and is known as one of the largest caravanserais in Anatolia. It is believed to have been built by the Van Beylerbeyi Köse Hüsrev Pasha in the 16th century and served as an important stopover point on the Silk Road. With its large courtyard and multi-section structure, the caravanserai bears the characteristics of Seljuk architecture and forms part of Bitlis’ rich historical heritage.
Bitlis El Aman Khan (Source: Culture Portal)
Historical Origin and Context
El Aman Khan is located on the strategic location of Bitlis, at a crossing point of the Silk Road connecting Central Asia and Anatolia. Bitlis is a city founded in the deep valley of the Bitlis Stream, a tributary of the Tigris River, and there is no definite information about its founding date. There is a legend in ancient sources that the city's castle was built by Badlis, one of Alexander the Great's commanders. After Alexander, Bitlis came under the rule of various civilizations such as the Seleucids, Sassanids, Romans, Arabs (the period of Caliph Omar, 634-644), Seljuks (1047), Mervanids, Ahlatshahs, Ayyubids, Anatolian Seljuks, Sherafids, Karakoyunlus, Akkoyunlus, and Safavids. In 1555, Bitlis was annexed to the Ottoman lands by the Amasya Treaty.
The construction of the El Aman Inn is attributed to the Van Beylerbeyi Köse Hüsrev Pasha and was completed in the 16th century, probably in December 1579 (Dhu al-Hijjah 987). This information is based on pages 15-17 of the Bitlis Province Foundation Book in the work of Mustafa Oflaz and Rahmi Tekin titled “Van Beylerbeyi Köse Hüsrev Pasha and Rahva Caravanserai Foundation Charter”. Although there is no inscription on the inn, the foundation records confirm that the structure was also called Rahva Caravanserai and that it was the same structure as El Aman Inn. Evliya Çelebi’s Seyahatname states that Bitlis was a prosperous city full of inns, mosques, and madrasahs, while the statements about the magnificence of El Aman Inn emphasize the importance of the structure in its time. Xavier Hommaire de Hell and Theodor Kotschy, who visited the city in the 19th century, described Bitlis as a place where “the attractive beauties of the east are gathered” and “magnificent”.
Architectural Features
El Aman Khan is a large-scale caravanserai consisting of five main sections around a large courtyard. The structure, which is approximately 90 meters long in the east-west direction and 70 meters wide in the south-north direction, stands out as one of the largest caravanserais in Anatolia. It was built entirely of cut stone, and stone and brick were used for the vaults in the cover system. The khan includes a group of structures consisting of a caravanserai and a bathhouse block, and the courtyard in the east is entered through a large pointed arched door in the north.
The caravanserai block has a multi-section plan:
- Western Section: Located in the westernmost part, supported by thick cut stone walls and semi-cylindrical buttresses, it has a ribat appearance. It is divided into three naves with six cross-like piers in two rows on the east-west axis.
- Gated Area: Located in the northeast of the first section. It is divided into three long naves with four piers and five pointed arches in two rows on the east-west axis. A large door on the south side connects this area to the main cross-like section.
- South Iwan: The smallest iwan, it separates the southern spaces from the other parts of the caravanserai.
- North and West Stables: The north barn is supported by eight columns, has three naves, and is covered with a vault; the west barn has a similar layout with six columns. To the left of the main entrance, there are rooms on the right and left opening to the corridor, and a brick-built dome in the middle of the corridor.
- Bath Block: It has a monumental entrance to the south of the courtyard. It consists of four open volumes covered with vaults, a domed main volume, two opposing iwans, and four small spaces; the furnace section is at the back.
The inn includes 160 rooms, a mosque, a bathhouse, a pool, an animal shelter, a courtyard, and 10 shops for craftsmen and merchants. The structure, which bears the characteristics of Seljuk architecture, is built of solid black stones and is located at a point close to the Muş Junction of the Bitlis-Tatvan highway, with no other ruins or structures around it.
Restoration Process and Current Status
El Aman Inn is a structure owned by the General Directorate of Foundations and was restored in the 2000s after being out of use for a long time. The restoration, which was completed towards the end of 2012 with a cost of 11 million TL, aimed to return the structure, which was allocated to Bitlis Eren University, to its original state. However, the lack of planning for use after the restoration is striking. During the visits on October 4, 2011, and August 8, 2019, it was observed that although the structure was completely repaired, no people lived in it. During the restoration, stairs and a disabled ramp with a problematic slope were added to the entrance, which was lower than the highway level; an area with a pool was arranged in the courtyard, but the stone pavements were damaged due to poor workmanship and climate conditions. The heating and cooling systems in the bathhouse and caravanserai blocks were inadequate, and the electrical and lighting arrangements were implemented with low quality. Fire cabinets, hanging cables, and roof leaks reveal the aesthetic and functional deficiencies of the restoration.
Today, El Aman Hanı hosts social and cultural activities within Bitlis Eren University. The “International Seljuk Ottoman Works Library” project, implemented with SAP (Southeastern Anatolia Project), aims to make the Khan an important center for Seljuk and Ottoman research. Bitlis Governor Oktay Çağatay emphasized the tourism potential of the structure and advocated that it be operated in accordance with its historical texture.
Cultural and Historical Importance
El Aman Khan was built as a shelter for caravans on the Silk Road and provided a place to stay against the harsh winter conditions of the Rahva plain. The structure, which holds the title of the largest caravanserai in Anatolia, is a magnificent example of Seljuk architecture. Built on the foundation of Köse Hüsrev Pasha, the inn strengthened Bitlis' identity as a trade center and bore witness to the historical vitality of the region. Despite the criticisms of the restoration, the structure's tourism and academic potential make it an important element of Bitlis' cultural heritage.
