Kent slams name change proposal
CLAIMS that the Evkaf religious foundation wants to rename one of the country’s bestknown Ottoman sites have been slammed by its owner and tourism chiefs.
John Aziz Kent said he was “outraged” by reports in the media this week that foundation officials objected to the name of Lefkoşa’s
Kumarcılar Hanı (Gamblers’ Inn), of which he owns 75 per cent.
The inn is believed to have been built in the late 17th century. It was reopened in November 2016 following a major restoration, funded by the Turkish embassy in Lefkoşa, but the origins of its name have been the source of dispute.
In February of that year civil society groups voiced anger at suggestions to drop the word “gamblers”, claiming that it was part of a Turkish policy of “assimilation”.
It is understood the same suggestions, of “Humancılar” and “Fenerciler”, are being mooted by Evkaf.
“How on earth can they change the name of the venue without the knowledge or consent of its owner?” Mr Kent, 83, told Cyprus Today.
“I have given 35 years of my life to tourism. We did everything we could to transform the structure that was a jungle of rubble, to being a beautiful Ottoman structure.”
He said Evkaf, which had come up with the proposal during an event with their Turkish counterparts in Ankara, should be more concerned with “dealing with the problems” in Lefkoşa’s walled city. “Now, [they] want to change the name of the Gamblers’ Inn as if there is no other problem left to deal with.
“[They] should concern themselves with renovating crumbling historic structures, and I am happy to provide tourism advice.”
He said the “Gamblers’ Inn” name was “appealing” to tourists and declared: “I will not allow [the name change] to happen.”
Lefkoşa-based Evkaf archives officer Mustafa Kemal Kasapoğlu, who is understood to have voiced the proposal, said it was “based on documentary evidence . . . which does not record any such name [as Kumarcılar] from [Ottoman] records.”
He said it was “up to officials to decide”, adding: “All we have done is put forward the conclusion based on Ottoman documents.”
However former Antiquities Department head Tuncer Bağışkan has said the name could be found in Ottoman records dating back to 1804.
Tourism Minister Fikri Ataoğlu said he had been “bombarded” with telephone calls about the issue. He said the government was not involved, and commented: “The venue belongs to Mr Kent, and no application exists to change the name.”