The central square’s Khan

The tobacco trade and the economic boom of Xanthi significantly increased the visitors that came to the city. For this reason numerous inns were built in the second half of the 19th century, the so-called “khans”. The inns were mainly two-story buildings, with a large main entrance, like the one depicted in the photo, wide enough for travelers’ carriages to go through. The entrance usually led to an inner courtyard, where guests could leave their pack animals and rest, before moving to the rooms on the upper floor. Literary sources state that there were about 50 khans in Xanthi, which is indicative of the commercial importance of the city at that time.

Creator: unknown (1919)
Source: Dimitris Mavridis private collection
Text source. X. Zarkada, “The Hania of Xanthi” Archaeology & Arts, 13, 1982, 80-86