Draft:Taşhan, Vezirköprü

Taşhan is a commercial building built during the late Ottoman period in the Vezirköprü district of Samsun.

As of the 2000s, it is one of the most important touristic attractions of Vezirköprü. It is in the Orta Mosque neighborhood in the district center. The two-storey building is made of filled stone material. On the ground floor there are cells that were used as warehouse or barn, courtyard parking lot, units on the upper floor, shop or office in the past. Today it is used as a hotel.

History
The inn has no building inscription and there is no document on its construction, but it is thought to have been built between the 17th and 19th centuries when Vezirköprü was growing rapidly and its commercial capacity expanded. Based on the phrase "he had a han built in the bridge accident" in the foundation of Martyr Mufti Mustafa Bey in the archive of the General Directorate of Foundations, it is concluded that the building was built in 1800 with the revenues of the Martyr Mufti Mustafa Bey Foundation.

The north wall was largely destroyed in the earthquake of 1943; and after this date it was renovated with hımış (mudbrick filled between wooden roofs) instead of stone. Until 2007, a livestock market was held in Taşhan on certain days of the week. From time to time, the courtyard was used as a parking lot and the cells on the upper floors were used as commercial offices and shops.

In 2007, it was restored by the General Directorate of Foundations. The cells on the upper floor were organized as hotel rooms, and the camel house on the lower floor was organized as a restaurant. Taşhan, which was badly damaged by a fire that broke out from the restoration section in 2014, was restored again and put into service as a hotel and restaurant in 2020, and is operated by Samsun Metropolitan Municipality.

Architectural features
Taşhan is a rectangular building with a slightly trapezoidal plan. It was built with an alternating technique using cut stone and brick together. The second floor of the north wall of the building was renovated after the 1943 earthquake.

The entrance to the building with three doors is provided by the door on the west façade. The courtyard in the center is surrounded by the porticoes carried by wooden poles on the second floor and the cells behind them. The second floor is surrounded by simple railings. Each of the cells has a hearth and a closet niche.