TEHRAN – The second phase of a restoration project has recently been commenced on Aliabad caravanserai in a village of the same name near Mahan city in Kerman province, southeastern Iran. 

The restoration project involves covering and strengthening walls using cob material as well as repairing rooftop and arches, ILNA quoted provincial tourism chief Mojtaba Shafiei as saying on Monday. 

The Qajar-era (1789–1925) caravanserai has been inscribed on the National Heritage List. 

Caravanserai is a compound word combining “caravan” with “Sara”. The first stand for a group of travelers and Sara means the building.

They often had massive portals supported by elevated load-bearing walls. Guest rooms were constructed around the courtyard and stables behind them with doors in the corners of the yard.

Iran’s earliest caravanserais were built during Achaemenid era (550 -330 BC). Centuries later, when Shah Abbas I assumed power form 1588 – to 1629, he ordered the construction of network caravanserais across the country.

For many travelers to Iran, staying in or even visiting a centuries-old caravanserai can be a wide experience as they have an opportunity to feel the past, a time travel back into a forgotten age.

ABU/MG