TEHRAN – Photo depicts the ruins of Anjireh caravanserai which is estimated to date from the Ilkhanid era (1256–1353) situated in a barren desert in central Iran, September 14, 2021.

A few weeks ago, restoration work commenced on the stone inn amid hopes for a possible registration on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Located in Ardakan county, the crumbling stone inn has an irregular octagonal plan and it is the “oldest caravanserai” within Yazd province.

Caravanserai is a compound word combining “caravan” with “serai”. The first stands for a group of travelers and seari (or sara) stands for 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 the Achaemenid era (550 -330 BC). For many travelers to Iran, staying in or even visiting a centuries-old caravanserai, can be a wide experience; they have an opportunity to feel the past, a time travel back into a forgotten age! (PHOTO: ISNA /Baharak Roshanbakhsh)

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