Learn Hardcore Turkish: Eski pasajın tavanında muhteşem vitray pencereler var. - There are magnificent stained-glass windows on the ceiling of the old passage.

-ın is the genitive suffix in Turkish. When you want to express “of something” (possession), the owner noun takes a genitive ending.
• pasaj → pasaj + ın = pasajın (“of the passage”)

Why does tavanında have two suffixes and what do they mean?

The word tavan (“ceiling”) carries:
1) -ı (3rd-person singular possessive) → tavanı = “its ceiling”
2) -nda (locative) → tavanında = “on its ceiling”

So Eski pasajın tavanında literally means “on the old passage’s ceiling.”

What function does var serve in this sentence?

var is the existential verb meaning “there is / there are.” In Turkish existential sentences the pattern is:
(locative) + (subject) + var/yok.
Here, muhteşem vitray pencereler is the subject, and var tells you that they exist.

Why is vitray singular while pencereler is plural?

In Turkish, when a noun modifies another noun (like an adjective), it stays singular.
• vitray modifies pencereler, so it remains vitray (“stained glass”)
• pencereler takes the plural suffix -ler to become “windows”

What does muhteşem mean, and why does it come before vitray pencereler?

muhteşem is an adjective meaning “magnificent.” Turkish adjectives always precede the noun or noun phrase they describe, so it goes before vitray pencereler.

Is the word order fixed as locative + subject + var? Can you rearrange it?

The typical pattern for existential sentences is indeed:
1) Locative phrase (where?)
2) Subject (what?)
3) var/yok (is/are)

You can shift elements for emphasis, but starting with the locative is the most natural way to set the scene.

What exactly is a pasaj in Turkish? Is it the same as “passage” in English?

A pasaj in Turkish is a covered shopping arcade or gallery—shops line a roofed walkway. It’s a loanword (from French passage), but it refers specifically to that architectural feature, not to a clause of text.

Why don’t we see any articles like “the” or “a” in this sentence?

Turkish has no separate words for “the” or “a.” Definiteness or indefiniteness is inferred from context. If you need to stress “one” or “a certain,” you can add bir (e.g. bir pencere = “a window”), but it’s optional, especially with plurals.