Symeon’s Khan

English, as on the record

This is a watercolour depiction of the khan of Symeon located at Hermes Street which is now in the buffer zone. The khan, one of the largest in Cyprus, displays many of the features associated with caravanserais: Two-storey buildings, the lower part for animals and the upper for people, constructed around a main courtyard. It was a place for traders and merchants to stay overnight. Beautiful Gothic arches round the courtyard formed a long covered alley where people congregated. At the far end, a donkey standing under the alley and an old cart resting on the ground provided the means of transport of their owner. In the foreground, a more ‘modern’ means of transport is parked under the alley. This type of carriage (cabriole) was known locally as victoroudes, deriving its name from the Victorian period in which it first appeared on the island. A number of figures, Greek and Turkish, men and women, attest to the peaceful interaction between the two communities and throw light on the relative freedom enjoyed by women on the island.