Morića Han is a han (a roadside inn) originally built in 1551 in Sarajevo, Ottoman Empire (now Bosnia and Herzegovina). 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,

Sarači street Sarači street is one of main pedestrian streets in Sarajevo, located in Baščaršija, Stari Grad Municipality. Sarači street is named after ''Saraç'', a Turkish word for craftsmen who are making saddles. Sarači street is connecting Ferh ...

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

caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering ...

because, when operational, it could accommodate about 300 passengers and 70 horses. Evliya Çelebi, 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'' ( en, Peoples Council) and protested against the occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary. The han has survived 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 Ghiyāth al-Dīn Abū al-Fatḥ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm Nīsābūrī (18 May 1048 – 4 December 1131), commonly known as Omar Khayyam ( fa, عمر خیّام), was a polymath, known for his contributions to mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, an ...

. 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 shop, and religious societies. Morića Han is mentioned in the

sevdalinka Sevdalinka (), also known as Sevdah music, is a traditional Musical genre, genre of folk music originating from Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sevdalinka is an integral part of the Bosniak culture, but is also spread across th ...

song "Vila kliče sa vrh Trebevića" used in the film ''

When Father Was Away on Business ''When Father Was Away on Business'' ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Otac na službenom putu, Отац на службеном путу) is a 1985 Yugoslav film by Serbian director Emir Kusturica. The screenplay was written by the Bosnian dramatist Abdulah Si ...

'', 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