caravanserai
Sign in to savethumb|The Izadkhast Caravanserai|Izadkhast caravanserai (early 17th century), [[Fars province, Iran]]
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A caravanserai is a roadside inn or fortified structure that provided shelter and supplies to traveling merchants and their caravans along trade routes, particularly in the Middle East and Central Asia. These buildings were important for facilitating long-distance commerce by offering safe rest stops where traders could protect their goods and animals during their journeys.
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Article
16 sectionsContents
- Terms and etymology
- Caravanserai
- Khan
- Funduq
- Wikala
- Okelle
- Katra
- History
- Function
- Architecture
- General
- Variations
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|The Izadkhast Caravanserai|Izadkhast caravanserai (early 17th century), [[Fars province, Iran]]
A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was an inn that provided lodging for travelers, merchants, and caravans. They were present throughout much of the Islamic world. Depending on the region and period, they were called by a variety of names including khan, funduq and wikala. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information, and people across the network of trade routes covering Asia, North Africa and Southeast Europe, most notably the Silk Road. In the countryside, they were typically built at intervals equivalent to a day's journey along important roads, where they served as a kind of staging post. Urban versions of caravanserais were historically common in cities where they could serve as inns, depots, and venues for conducting business.