Rüstem Paşa Karavansarayı, or the caravanserai of Ottoman Grand Vizier Rüstem Paşa, is located at the center of the Ottoman city of Edirne, just southwest of the Eski Camii. The building is dated based on contextual evidence to the mid 16th/10th century AH, ca. 1550-1560/958-968 AH, but has since gone through major renovations and conversion to a hotel.
The plan of the building as it stands today is based on two large open courtyards. On the west side of the complex, a large rectangular courtyard serves as the core of the building. Surrounding this court was a two-story arcade. A smaller, irregularly shaped courtyard is annexed to the east side of the building. An arcade wraps around three of the four sides of this irregular court. Under each bay of the arcades on the western and eastern courts, doors open onto small chambers accommodates sleeping cells for travelers, coffee rooms, and stables.
The entrance to this court is on the south side of the court. A curious feature of the southern facade is that it is crooked, turning back from the street close to where the two parts of the building join and then turning outward again. s.
Source:
Goodwin, Godfrey, A History of Ottoman Architecture. London: Thames and Hudson, 1971.
