There were many inns in the Ottoman Empire. These are unique buildings that serve as a kind of free hotel for travelers. Sarajevo also had its inns. In today’s post, you will read something about Morić Han – the only preserved han (inn) in Sarajevo, and about Tašlihan, the han of which the ruins remain.
Morića Han
Han was a free hotel where travelers could spend one night and get one free meal and then continue their journey in the morning. The only preserved building of one han in Sarajevo is the Morića Han, which now houses cafes and business premises. It is not han anymore but the building is preserved.
Morića Han is an inn built in 1551 in Sarajevo. It is one of the buildings built with the funds of the Gazi Husrev Bey waqf.
In addition to lodging, merchants and travelers could find customers and sell their goods without going directly to the market in such inns. This han burned down in fires several times and was rebuilt. In 1998, by the decision of the Sarajevo municipality of Old Town, the inn was returned to the ownership of the “Gazi Husrev-bey waqf”. The management of the foundation leased the premises of the inn for the performance of activities that fit into the historical ambiance of the inn.
The hans were usually named after their tenants, so this han was also named after Mustafa-aga Morić, who was the son of Ibrahim-aga, one of two famous Morić brothers.
Tašlihan
Another name for han is caravan-saray. Tašlihan was one of the three Sarajevo caravan – sarays (hans), which were used to house people and horses. A han was, in fact, a large court in which a whole caravan of pack horses and merchants could be accommodated.
As part of the rehabilitation, reconstruction, and extension project of Hotel Europe in Sarajevo, archaeological research was carried out in the part of the summer garden of the Hotel, which resulted in the discovery of part of the foundations of Tašlihan. In 2004, the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina passed a decision declaring the archaeological area, or rather the remains of Tašlihan, a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Tašlihan means stone inn. It was built in the period from 1540-1543 from the legacy of Gazi Husrev-bey, after his death. It was built next to Gazi Husrev-bey’s bezistan, on its western side. Tašlihan had a square base and was 47 meters long.
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