Ağzıkara Han
{{short description|Caravanserai in Turkey}}
Ağzıkara Han is a historic Seljuk-era caravanserai in Turkey. It is located in the Ağzıkarahan village in the province of Aksaray.
History
The caravanserai is considered one of the most important and richly-decorated examples of ordinary caravanserais built by non-royal patrons.{{Cite web|last=Kuyulu Ersoy|first=İnci|date=|title=Ağzıkara Han (caravanserai)|url=http://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;tr;Mon01;6;en|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=July 4, 2020|website=Discover Islamic Art, Museum With No Frontiers}}{{Cite web|last=mondial|first=UNESCO Centre du patrimoine|title=Seljuk Caravanserais on the route from Denizli to Dogubeyazit - UNESCO World Heritage Centre|url=https://whc.unesco.org/fr/listesindicatives/1403/|access-date=2020-07-04|website=UNESCO Centre du patrimoine mondial|language=fr}} Foundation inscriptions attest that the covered/roofed section of the building was completed in June 1231 during the reign of Sultan Ala ad-Din Kayqubad I, while the courtyard was completed in February 1240 during the reign of his successor Kaykhusraw II.{{Cite web|title=Agzikara Han|url=http://www.turkishhan.org/agzikara.htm|access-date=2020-07-04|website=www.turkishhan.org}} The patron who commissioned the construction was named Mes’ud, son of Abdullah.
Architecture
Like other major caravanserais of this period, it consists of two sections: one centered around a main courtyard, and an indoors section. The caravanserai is entered via a monumental entrance portal (pishtaq) projecting from the plain exterior walls of the building, with stone-carved decoration and a vaulted canopy of muqarnas. It leads to the main courtyard, around which are numerous chambers. In the middle of the courtyard is a small mosque consisting of a square stone chamber raised on four pillars and reached by stairs, considered an excellent example of this feature (which recurs in other caravanserais). The indoors section consists of a vaulted nave with a central dome (though the dome itself has been lost), from which vaulted chambers open on either side.
File:Ağzıkarahan 01.jpg|General view of the exterior
File:Ağzıkarahan 04.jpg|Details of the stone carving in the main entrance portal
File:Ağzıkarahan 10.jpg|The main courtyard with the elevated mosque
File:Ağzıkarahan 07.jpg|The mosque, seen from its entrance side
File:Ağzıkarahan 11.jpg|The entrance portal of the covered or indoors section
File:Ağzıkarahan 13.jpg|The interior of the covered section
File:Ağzıkarahan 15.jpg|The base and muqarnas-carved squinches of the central dome in the covered section (the dome itself has been lost)
References
{{commonscat|Ağzıkara Han}}
{{Reflist}}
{{coord|38|26|43.3|N|34|08|26.6|E|display=title}}
{{Caravanserais in Turkey}}
{{Turkey-struct-stub}}
Category:Buildings and structures completed in the 13th century
Category:Buildings and structures in Aksaray Province
Category:Buildings and structures of the Sultanate of Rum
Category:Caravanserais in Turkey