Khanat Caravanserai

🕰️When was it built?

The caravanserai is credited to the late reign of Naser al-Din Shah, around 1300 AH (1882–83). After a fire in 1978–79 it stood unused for a while. It was restored in the 2000s, and in March 2010 it was used again for Nowruz events.

🏛️What was it built for?

Khanat was built for caravans and trade beside the road to the shrine of Shah Abdol-Azim. The rooms were for merchants' business and the stable yard for pack animals. Trade still goes on here today, and at times the grounds have also hosted cultural events.

👀What you will see

• Seventy rooms are arranged symmetrically around the square courtyard, even though the plot outside is not symmetrical.
• The wooden entrance door is about six metres tall with forty decorative nail heads, one of the building's standout features.
• Two iwans on the east and west of the courtyard each lead to one of the complex's entrances.
• The main entrance passage is lined with large rooms on both sides and connects to the Amin al-Soltan bazaar.
• The old stable yard lay to the north-east and was reached through a passage.

💡Something interesting

Khanat first stood beside the road, outside the city. When the Safavid wall came down and Tehran spread as far as Shush Street, the caravanserai found itself inside the city. That is why it now sits among busy streets, though it was built for the caravan route.

Good to know before you go