The grandest of Diyarbakır's several hans, Hasan Paşa Hanı sits in the heart of the old bazaar and is the most atmospheric place in the city for a tea or coffee. The double-storey courtyard is built entirely in black and white striped basalt — the same alternating stone style as Ulu Cami — and has been converted into a pleasant open-air cafe. Carpet and souvenir sellers occupy the ground-floor arcades. Even if you're not buying anything, the han is worth walking through.
Hasan Paşa Hanı
16th-century caravanserai in the heart of the bazaar, now a cafe and market
A story
The han was built in 1572 by Hasan Paşa, grandson of Sokollu Mehmed Paşa — the grand vizier who effectively ran the Ottoman Empire for fifteen years. The family connection to Istanbul's power meant Diyarbakır received an unusually grand han; the double-storey arcade and the quality of the basalt carving are a cut above what you'd expect for a provincial caravanserai.