The story of the historic Tiftik Han in Yozgat: from a prison to a 36,000-book library
The two-story historic building in Yozgat's Akdağmadeni district served as the center of the region's mohair trade in the 19th century before being used as a prison until 1980. Left empty for thirty-one years after the military coup, the building today welcomes visitors as a district public library with 36,000 books.
Tiftik Han, in the Akdağmadeni district center, with its thick Horasan-mortar walls and arched facade, is considered one of the oldest surviving buildings in the region. Above the door of a room on the building's second floor, the date Hijri 1316, corresponding to 1898-1899 in the Gregorian calendar, can be read; this points to the building taking its current form in the late Ottoman period.
Rising from white cut stone, the building, with its rectangular plan and two-story facade, is considered a typical example of Ottoman urban caravanserai architecture. Above the door at the front entrance, a relief lion figure and the words "Maşallah" and "Sübhanallah" stand out; the facade, adorned with a triangular pediment and floral motifs, blends with the vaulted courtyard and rooms inside.
A caravanserai named after the mohair trade
The reason the building carries the name "Tiftik Han" lies in the fact that, thanks to the durable structure of its walls, it was used as a mohair warehouse for many years. During the Ottoman period, mohair yarn obtained from Angora goats was an important trade item in Akdağmadeni and its surroundings; the han's sturdy Horasan-mortar walls proved suitable for storing the yarn without it absorbing moisture, and the building gradually became the center where the region's mohair trading took place.
The building, whose function changed over time, was converted into a prison and used for this purpose for a long period. Its registration by the Supreme Council for Immovable Antiquities and Monuments under the name "hapishane" (prison) in the records also carries the trace of this period.
Left empty for thirty-one years
Tiftik Han continued to function as a prison until 1980. Closed after the military coup of 12 September 1980, the building was left unused until 2011. Although the building's neglect during this period occasionally raised concerns about the preservation of its historic fabric, it largely managed to remain standing.
After 2011, the building was restored as part of the "Healing Libraries" themed project of the General Directorate of Libraries and Publications and converted into a district public library. Bookshelves took the place of the old wards, while the vaulted courtyard was turned into a space where readers spend their time.
Today, Tiftik Han holds 36,000 books, and the library has 4,169 registered active members. The library operates on weekdays from 08:00 to 17:00 and is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Preserving its historic fabric, the building has become one of the region's notable stops both for those wishing to develop a reading habit and for visitors wanting to see Yozgat's Ottoman-era architecture up close.