According to information provided by travelers and ambassadors, Elgihan’s architectural structure, with a courtyard in the middle, is square.
The well located in the middle of the courtyard served as a water source for humans, animals, and the caravansary. The courtyard featured three entrance doors for wagons. The ceilings of the rooms were domed and covered with lead for waterproofing. Although the rooms were not very comfortable, Elgihan also had ten shops located on the street at the caravansary’s entrance. These shops had windows opening to the outside and to the courtyard with a porch.
“Kiyamet-i Surra”
Representatives staying in Istanbul sometimes for months and sometimes for years used this caravansary to meet the Sultan. The lead covering the domes of the caravansary, with a significant place in Istanbul’s cultural history Elgihan, melted due to a fire at Qemberlita§ in 1587, but the caravansary suffered no serious damage. Throughout the 16th century and until the mid-17th century, the caravansary served as an accommodation center for ambassadors. However, following a law introduced in 1646, ambassadors were allowed to stay in Galata, and Elgihan lost its importance after that date. A fire in 1652 burned Elgihan, along with many buildings around it. The significant earthquake of 1766, known as “Kiyamet-i Surra,” partially demolished the caravansary.
Shelter for the Postmen
In the 19th century, efforts were made to revive Elgihan by converting it into a shelter for post wagons, but it suffered damage again during the Hocapasa fire in 1865. Abdulhamit II put Elgihan, which remained in a destroyed state for a long time, under the ownership of Osman Bey, one of the directors of the Palace Rose Festival Tour. In 1880, Osman Bey demolished Elgihan, thereby destroying a part of Ottoman cultural history, and erected a large building called Matbaa-i Osmaniye (the Ottoman Press) in its place. During the Republic era, this building was also demolished, and the current cinema and passage were built. Elgihan, considered the pioneer of modern hotels and the first accommodation center in Istanbul, played a crucial role in Ottoman cultural life and offered many qualities to visitors in terms of its operational system.
