Robat-e Asef

🕰️When was it built?

The building is attributed to Asef al-Dowleh, one of the governors of Khorasan in the Qajar era. Its exact date is not known, but it is thought to have been built around 1251 AH (1835). The robat was added to the National Heritage List on 20 June 1998 as number 2030.

🏛️What was it built for?

The robat was built for caravans to rest, for travellers to stay and for keeping animals. The rooms are set around the courtyard, and the stable and the covered cistern met the needs of the journey. Thick walls and an outer face with few openings kept the inside apart from the world outside.

👀What you will see

• The two main iwans and the central courtyard are the most distinctive parts of the complex, with the living rooms around the courtyard.
• The loopholes in the south-west wall are among the building's defensive details; look at them from a distance.
• The covered cistern is built with sarooj and was linked to the shahneshin iwan; don't go into the lower space without permission.
• The outer face has few openings apart from the entrance iwan; notice the contrast between the closed outer walls and the side facing the courtyard.

💡Something interesting

The shahneshin iwan had a direct way to the covered cistern. This link shows that access to water was planned into the layout of the living spaces; water was not just a separate structure in a corner of the grounds.

🎒Good to know before you go