Uzun Çarşı (Long Bazaar) & Historic Hans

Uzun Çarşı, the Long Bazaar, is the traditional commercial spine of Antakya (ancient Antioch), threading through the historic core between the Orontes River and the foot of Mount Habib-i Neccar.

History & Identity

Considered as old as the city itself, its roots reach back to the caravan trade of Roman Antioch, when the city was a key junction where the Silk Road met the Mediterranean. Destroyed and rebuilt many times over the centuries, the bazaar acquired much of its present architectural character under Ottoman rule.

Fabric & Historic Hans

Along roughly 3.5 kilometres of narrow, partly covered lanes run spice sellers, laurel-soap makers, jewellers, cobblers, coppersmiths, kunefe masters and greengrocers, with each trade traditionally clustered in its own street, such as the jewellers' and cobblers' rows.

The historic hans woven into this fabric are the heart of the district: the two-storey, courtyard Kurşunlu Han, built of cut stone in the 1660s by Köprülü Mehmed Pasha to host the Surre pilgrimage caravan, stands out as the city's oldest han, while the Sokullu (Yeni) Mosque and surrounding covered markets lend the bazaar its atmosphere.

Earthquake & Rebuilding

In the earthquakes of 6 February 2023, nearly half the bazaar collapsed and many structures, including Kurşunlu Han, were badly damaged. Through 2025-2026 the Urban Transformation Directorate and TOKİ have been carrying out reconstruction and restoration faithful to authentic Antakya architecture and Yayladağı-stone facades, while traders continue in a temporary prefabricated bazaar nearby. A visit today therefore combines surviving and restored fabric with a living story of recovery.

Visiting & Gastronomy

Agencies favour Uzun Çarşı because a single walk delivers gastronomy (kunefe, hummus, oruk, paper kebab), shopping (laurel soap, spices, za'atar) and historic atmosphere at once, and because it sits within walking or short driving distance of the Church of St. Peter, the Habib-i Neccar Mosque, the Antakya Museum Hotel and the Hatay Archaeology Museum.

Average visit time is one to two hours, extending to half a day with a kunefe and lunch stop, and guided programmes usually slot it into the middle of the city tour, between the museums and the faith sites. For photography, the stone-arched han courtyards, tight covered lanes and colourful spice and soap stalls are the favourite frames.

Access & Transport

Access is easy: being in the centre, it is reached readily by taxi or minibus, while tour coaches drop off at car parks around Kurtuluş and Kemalpaşa Streets and walk visitors in, since vehicles cannot enter the narrow lanes. Disabled access is partly difficult, as the sloping, kerbless and sometimes uneven stone surfaces are awkward for wheelchairs and a companion is advised.

The best periods are spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October); summer middays can be hot and humid. Peak season is the summer months and religious holidays. A recommended route is museums and St. Peter in the cool morning, then shopping and a kunefe break in Uzun Çarşı, finishing the afternoon at the Harbiye Waterfalls.