Sign up with email

or

Already a member? Log in.

Trouble logging in?

Not a member? Sign up!

Architectural and historical monuments of the Ottoman Era, the hans and caravansaray that freckle the old city have mostly been left to their own devices. Originally built as imposing weigh stations for incoming traders, today they are crumbling in places and patched up with duct tape in others.

These buildings are still living spaces of commerce and craftsmanship, or simply storage, a tradition which reaches back centuries. Wandering around one han which hosts a bustling trade in yarn, or visiting an Armenian silversmith in his tiny vaulted cell tapping detail into an elaborate dinner plate is a magical experience. A tray of glasses filled with piping hot tea descend two stories by a rope in the hand of the han’s expert cayci is part of the ballet that plays out every day. It’d be easy to fall for an oriental fantasy in the courtyard of the Büyük Yeni Han if it all were not so real. Which it is.

Spending some time in these lovely old buildings beckons the question: why hasn’t someone done something with this place? A boutique hotel, an event center. That may be the fate of some of the hans we’ve featured in this video, but for now, they are still the domain of masters and apprentices, welders and tea jockeys, people who actually make stuff. What they’ve done with the place is nothing short of magnificent.

Istanbul-based photographer and videographer Monique Jaques recently spent some time documenting daily life in the Büyük Yeni Han, in an effort to get a better sense of the rhythm of daily life there and to record what may be a vanishing way of life and work in Istanbul. The result is the video below:

  • The Water Banks of NaplesJuly 7, 2023 The Water Banks of Naples (0)
    Naples has a lot of iconic eateries and shops, but one of the lesser-known city icons is […] Posted in Naples
  • Spring Gone WildMay 2, 2023 Spring Gone Wild (0)
    One of the great joys of spring in Japan is anticipating the appearance of sansai, or […] Posted in Tokyo
  • PastieraApril 7, 2023 Pastiera (0)
    Like the Proustian madeleine, sweets can stir up all kinds of feelings in the minds of […] Posted in Naples
Monique JaquesMonique Jaques

Published on April 19, 2016

Related stories

July 7, 2023

The Water Banks of Naples: H2Oh!

Naples | By Amedeo Colella
NaplesNaples has a lot of iconic eateries and shops, but one of the lesser-known city icons is the kiosk of the fresh-water-seller. Scattered throughout the city, the banks of the acquafrescai – some of which are very famous – sell various mineral waters and refreshments. These kiosks were born to provide relief in the summer…
May 2, 2023

Spring Gone Wild: Tokyo Sansai

Tokyo | By Fran Kuzui
TokyoOne of the great joys of spring in Japan is anticipating the appearance of sansai, or mountain vegetables. When cherry blossoms begin to flutter on warming breezes, hikers take to the hills to forage for the first wild edibles. Supermarkets mount special displays of packaged (and unfortunately often hot-house-raised) young sprouted leaves, shoots and tubers.…
April 7, 2023

Pastiera: The Neapolitan Easter Legend

Naples | By Amedeo Colella
NaplesLike the Proustian madeleine, sweets can stir up all kinds of feelings in the minds of those who eat them. In Naples, struffoli (small, round doughnuts glazed with honey) and cassata (sponge cake with ricotta and candied fruit) speak of Christmas, while chiacchiere (sugar-dusted fritters) and sanguinaccio (literally “blood pudding,” but actually made of chocolate)…
Select your currency
USD United States (US) dollar
EUR Euro