This watercolour by Chris Connell depicts an old khan in the Turkish quarter of Nicosia. It was built over the remains of another building that dates back to the Venetian period. A number of khans could be found on the island along major travel routes. Apart from providing accommodation to travelers and their animals over night, khans also operated as major assembly points where ideas and information could be exchanged.
The khan depicted in the painting bears the marks of a classic Ottoman city khan. It consists of a regularly shaped courtyard featuring stables and storage spaces on the ground floor and lines of rooms on top. The khan came to be known by various names ranging from ‘Kumarcilar Khan’ (The khan of the gamblers) to ‘Himarcilar Khan’ (The khan of donkey-drivers) and ‘Gezginci Çalgicilar Khan’ (The khan of the Itinerant Musicians).
As the very names suggest, it was put into multiple uses over its long history. It acted as a meeting point for musicians playing at wedding and circumcision rituals of the Turkish community. Moreover, its spacious courtyard accommodated both wrestling games and cockfights.
The building has undergone a major restoration by the Antiquities Department in the 1950’s. Its modern uses are illustrated in the painting and include a number of shops by the old wooden door of the entrance. The door itself is quite interesting and points to possible Venetian origins.
The khan is obviously shut. In front of the entrance, an old car and some bicycles, much used in Cyprus at the time, provide the markers of the modern industrial era. On the right hand side, a coffee shop under a vine trellis is set against the exterior of the building. A number of figures sit leisurely on wooden chairs and play cards under the vigilant eye of the coffee shop proprietor.
In the sixties, the coffee shop was called ‘Asmaalti’ after the street. Bel Cola signs, the Turkish Cypriot version of Coca Cola, appear conspicuously on the wall. On the left corner of the painting, an old man is seated on typical hand-made Cypriot chairs of wood and matting. He is spending his time watching the passers by.
PNT-00124 > Connell, Chris, Old Inn Turkish quarter of Nicosia, Pen and Watercolour, 31x49 cm, 1968
The 'Sneak Peek' series is supported by The Hellenic Initiative Canada.
