#Thessaloniki - #04 Walking Tour - Bensousan Han

How old is the oldest hotel in the city of Thessaloniki?

Near the port of Thessaloniki, you can visit the building of Samuel Bensoussan in the historic region of Upper Ladadika. Samuel was a Jewish merchant living and working in Thessaloniki, during the last century of the Ottoman era. Ηe bought a plot of land near the port, where the foundations and the ground floor had already existed, and he began to build the first floor, operating the building as han. Soon, the motel became famous and since then is known to all as "Bensousan Han"

What is a “han”? “Han" in Turkish language means a motel, an inn or even a small caravanserai: a roadside inn where travelers (caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. What are these buildings called today?

Take a good look at the Bensousan Han’s photos below:

• How is the building from outside? How many rooms it has?
• If Samuel came to Thessaloniki today, what changes would he make to the building?

Discover the secret paper with the key below in the photos and draw Bensoussan Han today. What name would Samuel give to his motel?

Have a good exploration!

Tips:

• Ladadika is a historic area located near the port of the city. In fact, it is divided into "Upper Ladadika" and "Kato Ladadika" with Tsimiski Street. An imaginary border that kept the two areas separate for several years with their special characteristics: in the upper area where businesses and handicrafts developed, while the lower area gained a bad reputation because of the city’s port. The name of the area comes from the many olive oil handicrafts that were located in this area. Read more about the history of the area here.
• Did you know that the city of Heraklion in Crete had many hans also? In fact, the hans in Crete were also known as "Koumbedes", some of which were buided outside the Venetian Walls for travelers who didn’t pass through the city gates.