A rectangular doorway carved into the rock leads into an oval gallery in Han Yeraltı Şehri. The multi-layered underground settlement lies in the center of Han district and was shaped during the Roman and Byzantine periods. It is complemented by unearthed ancient remains, two registered cultural properties in Merkez Mahallesi, and Han’s historical role in the Ottoman road network. This makes it possible to understand the place across several eras and at different scales: from the interior of an underground complex to its position along a historic route.

Han Yeraltı Şehri in concrete dimensions

The entrance is 1.80 metres high and 1.00 metre wide; beyond it lies the gallery, which is 7.30 metres long and 6.50 metres wide. The complex thus connects a rectangular entrance with an oval interior. The size comparison is particularly striking: the gallery is six and a half times as wide as the entrance. These measurements do more than describe an underground site; they give a clear sense of the sequence from entrance to gallery. Those interested in historic spaces and their forms will find a specific architectural feature here, rather than just a reference to a historical period.

Ancient traces and later influences

Remains unearthed in the centre of Han show that the ancient settlement reached a considerable size during the Roman Imperial period. The multi-layered underground settlement, meanwhile, was shaped during the Roman and Byzantine periods. Together, these details offer two perspectives on Han: the extent of the ancient settlement during the Imperial period and the historical influences on the underground complex.

Cultural properties in Merkez Mahallesi

Meydan Fountain in Merkez Mahallesi is registered as a Group I cultural property; a protected area has been designated for it since 2017. Hüsrev Paşa Hamam, also in Merkez Mahallesi, is likewise listed as a registered Group I cultural property. Together, they are two specifically named cultural properties in the same neighbourhood; for the fountain, the protected-area designation supplements its group classification. They add a different dimension to Han’s cultural heritage than the underground settlement: here, the focus is on formal heritage registration, while the underground site is defined by its architectural form and historical influences.

Han in the Ottoman road network

Transport history also broadens the picture. Present-day Han was an important stop on the route known as the “right arm” of the Ottoman road network. This places Han within a historic system of routes, rather than focusing solely on individual sites or monuments in the town centre. This connection adds a different dimension to the history of the ancient settlement: it describes the town’s role in the Ottoman-era road network. The historical perspective thus ranges from built heritage to Han’s significance as a stop along a historic route.

Beyond the town centre

The geographic context varies depending on the site. Han Yeraltı Şehri is in the centre of Han district; Meydan Fountain and Hüsrev Paşa Hamam are located in Merkez Mahallesi. The Phrygian worship centre of Yazılıkaya, by contrast, is in the village of Yazılıkaya within the district, not in the town centre of Han. This distinction is useful when planning: the town centre and the village are different geographic reference points.

Discover more destinations: İsmetpaşa Köyü, Sivrihisar, Eskişehir, Şükranlı Köyü, Çalkaya, Karagözler, Karapazar, Mihalgazi.

Return to the main travel overview: Eskişehir.