Abstract

The word “Khan” refers to the place where visitors to Najaf city will rest for few days. Historically visitors with their animals, as the only means of transport, usually come to Najaf city in certain religious occasions, rest and settle down in Al_Shelan Khan. The Khan was constructed in 1895 by the governor (Wally) Muhammad Mueen Aga during the last years of the Ottoman Empire. The Khan is distinguished by its architectural design and the configuration of the types of columns and arches. The structure has an overall area of 1500 m2 consisting of two floors and three basements located at different places in the structure layout. The foundation of the structure is strip type extended approximately 5.5 m below ground level. Bricks of dimensions 22cm *10cm*4,5cm are the building units with a mixture of juss, lime as binding material. The paper focuses on the overall structural skeleton of the Khan and on the analysis of foundation system.