Old Akdağ Prison (Tiftik Han)

Standing on Sakarya Street in the Ahisavi neighbourhood of Akdağmadeni, this building is regarded as one of the town's most aesthetically striking structures. Its exact construction date is unknown, though the date 1316 AH (1898-99 CE) is carved in relief above a door on the upper floor. Also known as Tiftik Han, the building is thought to have originally served as a church before being converted into a han (caravanserai/inn). Built on a rectangular plan, two storeys high, its front façade is constructed of cut marble and quarry stone, and it has two entrances, front and rear. The entryway features a double-winged arched gate carved with a lion motif and Islamic inscriptions, crowned by a triangular pediment decorated with floral relief carvings. Inside, both floors open onto a shared colonnaded courtyard with ten columns each; the upper floor contains eleven stone-vaulted rooms, reached via two separate stone staircases. After its time as a han, the building served for many years as a prison, was closed following the 1980 military coup, and stood empty until 2011. Following extensive restoration, it now operates as the Akdağmadeni District Public Library, holding a collection of around 36,000 books — a striking transformation from church, to han, to prison, and now to a cultural institution serving the community.