LOCATION
The Evdir Han is located 18 km from Antalya in the Uzunkuyu region, on the Antalya-Burdur road. It is situated in the Yeşilbayir neighborhood of the Döşemealti district. It is two km off the main road. The han is built on the ruins of the ancient city of Termessos. The Termessos, Doyran and the Çiğlik Mountains are situated to the west of the han. The modern road retraces the old caravan route which continues to the west through the valley between the mountain ranges. The han is now surrounded by modern buildings, but it does not take much imagination to dissolve them away and consider how this lone sentinel of a han must have dominated this impressive setting when it was built.
This was the first han along on the road going north from Antalya on the Seljuk road leading from Antalya north across the mountains. The old Seljuk route was at the foot of the mountains and continued northwards. The next han is the Kirkgöz Han. Research has revealed the existence of three additional hans along this route: the Küçük Yenice Han, the Büyük Yenice Han and the Tahtali Beli Han. The road bifurcates after the Evdir Han, with one branch leading west to Korkuteli and the other north to the Kirkgöz Han. It is to be noted that a cluster of hans was built at a relatively short distance between each. This han is located but a short distance from the city center of Antalya, and 16 km past this han in the direction of Burdur is a second han, the Kirkgöz Han. The Küçük Yenice and Büyük Yenice Hans, the next stations on this route, are also a mere 16 kilometers away from the Evdir Han. A caravan has the potential of covering a distance of 40km per day give or take, depending on topographic and weather conditions. Why this cluster of hans was built so close to each other remains an unresolved issue. There are several possible explanations: perhaps these hans were built at different periods, perhaps they were built on routes that were used in different periods, or perhaps some were built for other uses, such as military posts or palaces.
DATE
1215-1219
At the time of its construction it was the largest han in Anatolia.
