From the Han to the Passage: Issues of Continuity or Disruption in the Use of Public Space in the Levant

The paper illustrates the process of transformation of the han (okelle or okale) from a traditional to a new building type through a number of examples drawn from Thessalonica, Alexandria, Izmir and Istanbul. Its aim is to focus on the transition from a semi-public, inward space of commerce and exchange, as represented by the han, to an outward, public space of commercial and tertiary activities, as represented by the passage, cite, stoa. The intention is to underline the resistance and adaptability of the traditional building type to new imported uses of space, as well as the potentialities inherent to the century long typology of the han. The ultimate scope is to address the issue of continuity in the use of public space in the Levant.