Caravanserai

A caravanserai (or caravansary; /kærəˈvænsəˌraɪ/)^[1] was an inn that provided lodging for travelers, merchants, and caravans.^[2] 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.^[2]^[3]^[4] 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.^[5]^[6] 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.^[2]

The buildings were most commonly rectangular structures with one protected entrance. Inside, a central courtyard was surrounded by an array of rooms on one or more levels.^[2] In addition to lodgings for people, they often included space to accommodate horses, camels, and other pack animals, as well as storage rooms for merchandise.^[7]

^ "Dictionary.com – caravansary". Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2016.)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Bloom, Jonathan M.; Blair, Sheila S., eds. (2009). "Caravanserai". The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture. Vol. 1. Oxford University Press. pp. 353–355. ISBN 978-0-19-530991-1.
^ Elisséeff, N. (1978). "K̲h̲ān". In van Donzel, E.; Lewis, B.; Pellat, Ch. & Bosworth, C. E. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume IV: Iran–Kha. Leiden: E. J. Brill. p. 1010–1017. OCLC 758278456.
^ Le Tourneau, Roger (1965). "Funduḳ". In Lewis, B.; Pellat, Ch. & Schacht, J. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume II: C–G. Leiden: E. J. Brill. p. 945. OCLC 495469475.
^ "Caravanserais: cross-roads of commerce and culture along the Silk Roads | Silk Roads Programme". en.unesco.org. Archived from the original on 29 May 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
^ "Caravanserai". National Geographic Society. 23 July 2019. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
^ Sims, Eleanor. 1978. Trade and Travel: Markets and Caravansary.' In: Michell, George. (ed.). 1978. Architecture of the Islamic World – Its History and Social Meaning. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd, 101.

[1] "Dictionary.com – caravansary". Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2016.)

[Grove-2] Bloom, Jonathan M.; Blair, Sheila S., eds. (2009). "Caravanserai". The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture. Vol. 1. Oxford University Press. pp. 353–355. ISBN 978-0-19-530991-1.

[:0-3] Elisséeff, N. (1978). "K̲h̲ān". In van Donzel, E.; Lewis, B.; Pellat, Ch. & Bosworth, C. E. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume IV: Iran–Kha. Leiden: E. J. Brill. p. 1010–1017. OCLC 758278456.

[4] Le Tourneau, Roger (1965). "Funduḳ". In Lewis, B.; Pellat, Ch. & Schacht, J. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume II: C–G. Leiden: E. J. Brill. p. 945. OCLC 495469475.

[Silk-5] "Caravanserais: cross-roads of commerce and culture along the Silk Roads | Silk Roads Programme". en.unesco.org. Archived from the original on 29 May 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.

[NatGeo-6] "Caravanserai". National Geographic Society. 23 July 2019. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.

[7] Sims, Eleanor. 1978. Trade and Travel: Markets and Caravansary.' In: Michell, George. (ed.). 1978. Architecture of the Islamic World – Its History and Social Meaning. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd, 101.

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