Caravansaries: Historical Iranian Inns

For hundreds of years, Iranians accommodated foreign and domestic merchants as well as pilgrims at elaborate rest-houses called caravansaries, which were built along major roads and in cities.
The word ‘caravansary’ is a combination of Persian words ‘caravan’ and ‘sara’, which means dwelling place or enclosed courts for caravans.
The development of Iran’s road system increased export to Europe, China and India, which in turn gave rise to the need for more trade routes and caravansaries.
Apart from the numerous roadside caravansaries, there were also many caravansaries in major cities where travelers could rest and recover from the day’s journey.
Some of the prominent caravansaries are featured below:

1- Khanat Caravansary
Khanat Caravansary in Amin-ol-Sultan Square embodies the historical heart of Tehran. The date of its construction is not known, but its location is marked by the name Roghani Sara on the first map of Tehran commissioned by Nassereddin Shah in 1302 AH (after hegira).
Khanat Caravansary is one of the rare cultural monuments of the capital still intact after at least a century.
It is one of the first caravansaries built in Tehran, preserved mainly by the private owners of this unique historical site.

2- Sa’d Al-Saltaneh Caravansary
The caravansary of Sa’d Al-Saltaneh is a large inn located in the city of Qazvin.
Built during the Qajar Era, the caravansary is one of Persia’s best preserved urban caravansaries. The builder of this large caravansary was a person named Sa’d Al-Saltaneh Isfahani.
The caravansary is built on a square plan, has four porticos facing a courtyard. The rooms for travelers are situated one meter above the courtyard.

3- Robat-e Sharaf Caravansary
This caravansary is located in Razavi Khorasan province between Marv and Nishabour. Built in the 12th century, the building looks like a fortified rectangle from the outside.
The courtyard and four- portico floor plan is that of the traditional Iranian mosque. The caravansary, which consists of two inter-related four-portico courtyards, is famous for having some of the most diverse and beautiful brick decorations in Iranian architecture.

4- Qaleh Sangi Caravansary
The caravansary is located on the Qom-Rey Road, 35 km to the northwest of Qom. The building has been planned on a four-porch style. The structure is made mainly of stones and dates back to the Safavid Era. The dilapidated structure has four semi-circular towers on the western and eastern sides.

5- Shah Abbasi Caravansary
Shah Abbasi caravansary is located in Damghan city in Semnan province. This is a relic from the Safavid Era located in Shahid Fallahi Avenue. The building has a high doorway, vast hall and various rooms. There is a porch at the top of the entrance.