Discover Han: Underground City and Historical Traces

Han can be viewed from several historical perspectives: its underground settlement, archaeological traces and registered cultural heritage sites sit alongside memories of former routes. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, this variety of themes may help you decide whether Han suits your travel interests. The different geographical references can also help with planning: some details concern the district centre or Merkez Mahallesi, while another site is in the village of Yazılıkaya within Han district.

The underground settlement and its measurements

The Han Underground City and Necropolis is located in the centre of Han district. It is a multi-level underground settlement shaped during Roman and Byzantine times. At the entrance, a rectangular door carved into the rock leads into an oval gallery. The door is 1.80 m high and 1.00 m wide; the gallery measures 7.30 m in length and 6.50 m in width. This allows the entrance and interior to be understood as two different forms: the door is taller than it is wide, while the gallery is longer than it is wide. This comparison makes the measurements easy to picture, without reducing the multi-level settlement to its entrance area.

Archaeological traces and cultural heritage sites

The excavated remains in the centre of Han show that the ancient settlement reached a considerable size during the Roman Imperial period. This finding concerns the settlement as a whole, while the measurements of the Underground City describe individual structures—the door and the gallery. The time periods also remain distinct: the considerable size is attributed to the Roman Imperial period; the underground settlement was shaped during Roman and Byzantine times.

The Meydan Fountain in Merkez Mahallesi, Han, and the Hüsrev Paşa Hamam in the same neighbourhood are each registered as Group I cultural heritage sites. A protected area has been recorded for the fountain since 2017. The year refers to this area, not to the date the fountain was built. Their shared heritage designation links the two sites; the protected area is additional information about the Meydan Fountain.

Historical role and geographical setting

Another perspective is Han’s historical role in transport: what is now Han was an important stop on the Ottoman road network along the route known as the “right arm.” Thus, alongside its architectural and archaeological themes, Han’s role in the road network of the time also comes into view. The route and the finds tell different kinds of history: one places Han within a transport network, while the others concern settlements and buildings.

The Phrygian religious centre of Yazılıkaya is located in the village of Yazılıkaya in Han district. This site adds another perspective on the district, but it is not the same as the centre of Han: the underground settlement is in the district centre, while Yazılıkaya is in the village of the same name. If you are considering Han as a travel destination, distinguishing between a point of interest in the centre and a site elsewhere in the district can be helpful. This keeps the geographical references of the historical sites clearly distinct.

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