Ahovan Stone Caravanserai

🕰️When was it built?

The exact construction date is uncertain. Some researchers attribute it to the Sasanian period, while others date it to the 11th century and the Ziyarid ruler Anushirvan. Repairs and alterations followed in later periods, and not all original parts survive.

🏛️What was it built for?

A caravanserai offered travellers a place to stop, rest and care for goods and pack animals. A central courtyard and surrounding rooms brought the functions of a roadside inn together. This one had 26 rooms, but much of it has now become piles of stone.

👀What you will see

• The surrounding walls use stone and saruj mortar. Examine the stonework from a safe part of the route.
• Part of the large entrance passage remains among the recognisable sections of the ruin.
• Piles of small and large stones mark collapsed parts across the site.
• The brick Shah Abbasi Caravanserai of Ahovan stands beside the stone inn. Compare their materials and forms from outside.

💡Something interesting

After a new Safavid caravanserai was built alongside it, the older stone inn gradually lost its importance. The neighbouring inns show how services for travellers changed at the same point on the road.

🎒Good to know before you go

• Ahovan is about 42 km east of Semnan. Allow for the out-of-town return journey.