This han was an important stop on the Silk
route, and is located between the Zazadin
Han (1236) and the Aksaray Sultan Han (1229).
The han lies parallel to the road, with the
door facing southwest towards the route. Kuban
believes that this was the only han on this
road during the first half of the 13th century,
and was one of the largest of the early period
hans.The han takes its name from the lake
behind it.
The han shows a typical plan for the era:
covered section to the rear of an open courtyard.
This is a large han, with a particularly vast
courtyard leading to the rear section (19
x 29m).
The facade of the han is severe, with no
decoration except for the three window openings
of the mosque. There is no elaborate crown
portal, nor an inscription plaque over the
door. This plain flat front and the "turrets"
over the door are quite unusual and give this
han its own distinctive aesthetic personality.
The entry has two storeys. The mosque lies
to the right of the entry passageway to the
courtyard on the upper storey, accessible
by a set of stone steps. The mosque comprises
a horizontal series of 4 cells and has a mihrab.
The courtyard has two different sets of 5
side aisles. The aisles to the southeast were
covered cell-like rooms with windows and were
probably used for the storage of goods, while
those to the northeast, with wider openings,
were used for the stabling of animals (camels).
The covered section has a middle aisle some
5.5 m wide, with a central dome at the crossing
of the sixth arcade. There are 8 covered cells
on each side, 9 m deep and 3-4 meters wide,
with the vaulting running perpendicular to
the the side walls.