kervansarays

Kervansaray (plural kervansaraylar) is a roadside inn designed to shelter caravans and provide services for long-distance travelers along major trade routes in the Islamic world, notably in Anatolia, Persia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Ottoman Empire. The term reflects Turkish usage for inns along the Silk Road and other routes, with roots in Persian and Arabic linguistic traditions.

Historically, caravanserais expanded along Silk Road arteries, with major growth under Seljuk and Ottoman rule. They were often funded by rulers, waqf endowments, or merchant guilds to promote trade and pilgrimage. Facilities typically included lodging for travelers, stables for animals, storage rooms, kitchens, water cisterns, and sometimes a mosque or living quarters for guards. Security was emphasized by fortified walls and a single or limited entrance.

Architecturally, most kervansaray have a rectangular plan centered on a large inner courtyard surrounded by a two-story gallery of guest rooms. A monumental gate opens to a forecourt; service buildings, kitchens, cisterns, and stables cluster to one side, while merchants' rooms and storerooms are on the opposite. Building materials vary regionally; brick and stone are common in the Middle East and Anatolia.

With the rise of rail transport in the 19th century, many inns declined, were abandoned, or repurposed. Today surviving kervansaray are regarded as important examples of medieval and early modern commercial architecture and as witnesses to historic trade networks; some have been restored and reused as museums, hotels, or public buildings.