Morića Han is a han (a roadside inn) originally built in 1551 in

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

(now

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

). After a fire in 1697 it was reconstructed in its current form. Morića Han is one of the buildings which were financed by and belonged to Gazi Husrev-Beg's endowment ( Vakuf). It is the only surviving han in Sarajevo. It is located in

Baščaršija Baščaršija (Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, Cyrillic: Башчаршија; ) is Sarajevo's old bazaar and the historical and cultural center of the city. Baščaršija was built in the 15th century when Isa-beg Ishaković founded the city. Bašča ...

, Sarači street, in Stari Grad. Morića Han (also spelled "khan" when translated to English) is considered a true

caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was an inn that provided lodging for travelers, merchants, and Caravan (travellers), caravans. They were present throughout much of the Islamic world. Depending on the region and period, they were called by a ...

because, when operational, it could accommodate about 300 passengers and 70 horses.

Evliya Çelebi Dervish Mehmed Zillî (25 March 1611 – 1682), known as Evliya Çelebi (), was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman explorer who travelled through his home country during its cultural zenith as well as neighboring lands. He travelled for over 40 years, rec ...

, an Ottoman traveller, wrote about his visit to Sarajevo in 1659 and described Morića Han as Hadži-Bešir's han, because Hadži-Bešir was landlord of the han then. The modern name probably comes from the surname of the han's tenants at the beginning of the 19th century, Mustafa-aga Morić and his son Ibrahim-aga Morić. However, some sources connect the name of this han with the Morić brothers who participated in rebellions against the Ottoman Empire from 1747 to 1757. The citizens of Sarajevo gathered in Morića Han on 29 July 1878, established ''Narodni Odbor'' () and protested against the occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

. The han has experienced several fires, most recently in December 1957 when the entire building was destroyed. It was reconstructed from 1971 to 1974 and decorated with Persian calligraphy inscriptions from poems written by Omar Khayyám. Stari Grad returned ownership of Morića Han to Gazi Husrev-Beg's endowment in 1998. Management of the endowment rents the han for business purposes that match the historical context, including a national restaurant, a

Persian carpet A Persian carpet ( ), Persian rug ( ),Savory, R., ''Carpets'',(Encyclopaedia Iranica); accessed 30 January 2007. or Iranian carpet is a heavy textile made for a wide variety of utilitarian and symbolic purposes and produced in Iran (histo ...

shop, and religious societies. Morića Han is mentioned in the sevdalinka song "Vila kliče sa vrh Trebevića" used in the film '' When Father Was Away on Business'', directed by Emir Kusturica.

References

External links

Text about Morića Han on Sarajevo internet portal

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morica Han Caravanserais in the Balkans Ottoman architecture in Bosnia and Herzegovina Buildings and structures in Sarajevo Coffeehouses and cafés Food and drink companies of Bosnia and Herzegovina Medieval Bosnia and Herzegovina architecture Baščaršija Gazi Husrev-beg's endowment

See also

References

External links