Mian Kotal Caravanserai, Kazerun

🕰️When was it built?

The caravanserai was built on the order of Shah Abbas the Safavid, and in the Qajar era Abolhasan Khan Moshir al-Molk restored and rebuilt it. It was added to the National Heritage List in 2000 as number 3667. So what survives is not the result of building in a single period.

🏛️What was it built for?

The building was made for caravans to stay and rest, and its cells are arranged around a central courtyard. The plan is rectangular and covers about 3,500 square metres. Much of this area is taken up by the cells around the courtyard.

👀What you will see

• The outer front and walls are built of rubble stone, which gives the caravanserai its stone look.
• Above the entrance door, stone is carved in the shape of a Persian toranj, or medallion, unlike the plainer parts of the wall.
• The four-iwan plan links the central courtyard with the cells on either side of the iwans.
• On the east and west sides, larger cells sit beside small ones.
• Stone water spouts, and stone used in parts of the inside decoration, show the material was used beyond the outer front.

🎒Good to know before you go

• As you look at the entrance, notice the stone toranj carving above the door; this decoration is one of the building's defining details.