A caravanserai was a roadside inn where travelers (caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. 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. Often located along rural roads in the countryside, urban versions of caravanserais were also historically common in cities throughout the Islamic world, and were often called other names such as khan, wikala, or funduq.
The Izadkhast caravanserai (early 17th century), Fars Province, Iran
The Ganjali Khan Caravanserai (1598), in Kerman, Iran
Khan As'ad Pasha, a caravanserai built in 1752 in Damascus, Syria
Funduq al-Najjarin in Fes, Morocco
Sultan Han is a large and significant 13th-century Seljuk caravanserai located in the town of Sultanhanı, Aksaray Province, Turkey. It is one of the three monumental caravanserais in the neighbourhood of Aksaray and is located about 40 km (25 mi) west of Aksaray on the road to Konya.
Exterior view of the Sultan Han
Muqarnas vaulting of the main portal
Decorative niche in the main portal