Not just a place to lay your head

DEBORAH RUBIN FIELDS

Hard to believe, but there was actually a time when the term “highway robbery” meant more than being “ripped off.” Back in the Middle Ages, “highway robbery” did not mean the paying of an unjustifiably high price for some item. In the Mideast, for example, caravan riders applied the term quite literally. It meant being robbed while traveling – be it on main throughways or on secondary roads.

Just how dangerous was the travel situation in medieval Palestine? Needless to say, we don’t have police statistics on the number of road-related deaths or assaults, but at least one legend reveals how treacherous were the roads. The story goes that the area called Maale Adumim (today located in the Judean Desert, near the Dead Sea road) got its name from the crimes of murderous thieves who spilled the blood of pilgrims and travelers journeying on the old Jericho to Jerusalem road.

So, what could travelers do to protect themselves, especially when they needed to rest for the night? They would lodge in a khan.

The khans that appeared in Israel during the Middle Ages may have been a tangible expression of the ancient biblical concept of welcoming guests, a notion that dates back to the Old Testament. The earliest (and best-known) text is from the Book of Genesis, Chapter 18, verses 1-8. It refers to the Patriarch Abraham welcoming three angels (in human form) into his tent. Moreover, it was said that Abraham kept his tent open in four directions in order to welcome guests from whichever way they came.

Today, it is common for both Jews and Muslims to refer to this story as the foundation for the commandment to welcome people (especially strangers) into their homes.

The khan, however, also addressed needs that arose as the monotheistic religions solidified their pilgrimage practices (i.e. to holy sites like Jerusalem) and as commerce and trade developed. There was a need to set up places where travelers could safely bed both their animals and themselves.

Thus, in the Middle Ages the khan became a recognized establishment in the Middle East. (Curiously enough, in Israel, khans have recently “re-appeared,” catering to those seeking an alternative to hotels or even youth hostels. They are reasonably priced and seem to appeal to those who want some kind of eco-friendly vacation.)

In Jerusalem, two khans or inns established by Mamluk rulers are still standing. (In ancient Palestine, the heyday of Mamluk rule is generally conceived of as the period from the mid-1200s to the early 1500s.) When you visit these spots, you can easily picture the people and animals who bustled about some 700 years ago.

As renowned fighters, the Mamluks had the mindset to build khans that protected lodgers. Granted, there were no special surveillance cameras or computerized door locks then, but at the Khan al-Sultan (also known as the al-Wakala) located on Al-Silsileh (or HaShalshelet) Street in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, the main gate closed from within – a big advantage when an outside threat presented itself. The entrance to the khan on Jerusalem’s Remez Street (across from Jerusalem’s old train station) is thick, low and arched, resembling the entrance to a fort. It was intentionally designed to thwart the entrance of highway robbers attracted to the adjacent busy road.

Besides their reputation as brave warriors, the Mamluks were also noted for their artistic sense. This is evident in the Khan al-Sultan’s exterior. The decorative market hall had a beautiful arched ceiling, complete with corbelled brick supporting the cornices. Masons employed the lovely pinkish brick typical of Mamluk architecture.

The khan was often a multi-ethic establishment, serving Arab caravans coming from Hebron, Christians going on pilgrimage to Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, and Jews going to Rachel’s Tomb near Bethlehem and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron.

For Muslims and Jews who maintained restricted diets, the khan was probably very convenient, as they could prepare their own food. (Thus, the concept of self-service facilities in hotel suites or in backpackers’ hostels is really quite old.)

Khans also included pet and parking facilities! Traders would unpack their animals, relieving them of the merchandise they had transported all day. At the more compact khans, animals were quartered in the courtyard area on the first floor. At the Khan al-Sultan, animals had stables in the market hall, which was sandwiched between the market street and the lodgers’ space.

At the Khan al-Sultan, rural merchants slept in the rooms above the inner courtyard. Their goods were stored on the courtyard’s ground level. At the Jerusalem Khan, merchants and pilgrims likewise slept on the second floor.

Sleeping arrangements were also self-service. There were no beds. You slept on the stone floor. If there were enough animals in the courtyard, their rising body heat would probably “take the chill out” of cold nights. The sleeping rooms at Khan al-Sultan had limited ventilation. The one small window above the door provided the room with its only source of fresh air and light.

At the Jerusalem Khan on Remez Street, business transactions sometimes went on right in the courtyard. At the Khan al-Sultan, rooms were set aside both for conducting business and for sleeping. At the latter, a market street had space designated for 14 shops. Moving further into the khan complex, a nine-room passageway led to the market hall. An additional 12 rooms were located on the upper floor of the hall. They were entered by way of balconies.

When Circassian Sultan Barkuk commissioned the Khan al-Sultan’s construction in 1386, he designated an area in close proximity to the cotton traders, goldsmiths and spice dealers’ markets. Apparently to get close to these sellers and craftsman, he chose to annex a previously built Crusader building. Reportedly, the Khan al-Sultan was a financial success. Proceeds were supposedly donated for the maintenance of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Since 1966, the khan on Remez Street has been a lively theatre venue. The Khanale, a kosher café-bar with live music, serves the theatre crowd, students, aspiring musicians and those seeking an evening out.

The Khan al-Sultan is owned by the Administration of Waqf and Islamic Affairs (AWIA). It was rehabilitated in 1989. Today, the first floor is used for residence and storage space. Small tractors able to transverse the narrow alleyways of the Muslim Quarter have replaced merchants’ transport animals. Families live on the second floor. Above the courtyard, a small neighborhood mosque occupies one corner. From its rooftop, there is wonderful view of Jerusalem.

While many hotels have come and gone, these old khans, each in their own way, have stood the test of time.

Deborah Rubin Fields is an Israel-based features writer. She is also the author of Take a Peek Inside: A Child’s Guide to Radiology.

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