sarais

Sarai, plural sarais, refers to a caravanserai or inn that historically served travelers, merchants, and caravans along major trade and pilgrimage routes in the Islamic world, especially within the Persianate sphere that includes Iran, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and parts of the Ottoman domain. These waystations provided shelter, food, water, and stables for animals, enabling long-distance commerce and mobility across difficult terrain and borders.

The term comes from Persian, using sarāy or sarā, meaning house, court, or residence. In Urdu, Hindi, Turkish, and related languages, sarai retained the sense of a lodging place for travelers and often carried connotations of a fortified or organized stop along a route. The concept spread with trade networks, and many sarais were established at regular intervals to serve caravans moving goods, people, or pilgrims.

Architecturally, a typical sarai featured a large enclosed courtyard surrounded by rooms for guests, storage facilities, and stables. A gate or perimeter walls provided security, while a central cistern or well supplied water. Some sarais also housed markets, baths, or administrative offices. The design aimed to protect caravans from banditry and weather and to facilitate efficient loading and unloading of goods.

In modern usage, sarai remains a toponym in several regions and is still used to denote inns or rest houses along highways in parts of South Asia and the Middle East. Many historical sarais have been preserved, adapted as heritage hotels, museums, or cultural sites, reflecting their role in historical trade and travel networks.