3 Caravanserai located in Kermanshah province

The peak of the caravanserai period in Iran was the Safavid period when Shah Abbas Safavid decided to build 999 caravanserais in Iran. An exact document as to whether or not 999 caravanserais were built is not available, but what is clear is that 54 of these caravanserais remain in Iran today and of these 54, 3 of them have become the share of Kermanshah province, which is not only located on the Silk Road, but also on the way to Atbat-e-Aliat and the pilgrimage of Karbala for Iranians that are very sacred places for Shias. Bistoon Caravanserai, Mahi Dasht, and Qasre Shirin.

Bistoon Caravanserai

Shah Abbasi Caravanserai belongs to the Safavid period and is located in Bistoon, Kermanshah, an area where monuments from almost all historical periods can be found. This caravanserai was built by the order of Shah Abbas I Safavid. This place was restored during the reign of Nasser al-Din Shah  in Qajar dynasty

Location Of Bistoon caravanserai

The city of Bistoon is located 30 km east of Kermanshah province on the road to Hamedan, and the exceptional condition of Mount Bistoon has led many to call it the Zagros Gate. This city is famous for the existence of Mount Bistoon and the famous inscription of Darius the Achaemenid.

Bistoon historical and cultural complex is located in an area of 5 km long and 3 km wide. This collection has been registered in the World Cultural Heritage List with historical monuments from the prehistoric Neolithic period to the Qajar period and has 18 cultural and historical monuments, including the Bistoon Caravanserai, which is located at the foot of a mountain and facing a green and vast plain. It is located in front of Farhad Tarash.

Building Architecture

This caravanserai is in the style of four porches and there are towers in the four corners of this building; The towers on the west side are circular and the towers on the east side are octagonal.

• 

• 

Building Application

Until recent years, the caravanserai was in the hands of the military and law enforcement, and naturally suffered damage, but after the Bistoon Historical Collection was nominated for a World Heritage List, it was renovated to accommodate tourists and host cultural events.

Since 2016, this caravanserai has become a beautiful 5-star hotel named Laleh, which is a collection of chain hotels in Iran. The capacity of this hotel is 100 guests, it has 20 standard catering units and royal and imperial suites with traditional design and inspired by the original architecture of the Safavid era and has provided the conditions for the presence of domestic and foreign tourists in the best possible way. Of course, the point to note is that the rooms do not have windows.

Mahidasht Caravanserai

The caravanserai belongs to the Safavid period and is located in the city of Robat Mahidasht in Kermanshah province.

Location Of Mahidasht Caravanserai

Abbasi Caravanserai of Mahidasht is located in Robat Mahidasht, Kermanshah, 30 km from Kermanshah. This caravanserai belongs to the Safavid period and was renovated during the Qajar period.

Building Architecture

The shape of the caravanserai is square and has four porches. Behind the various rooms, several stables have been built. There are 4 halls, 33 rooms, and 3 royal parts around the central area of ​​the caravanserai. The outer corners of this caravanserai are circular.

The entrance of Mahidasht Caravanserai, which is located in the middle of the southern front of the building, consists of the entrance, porch, pavilions, and rooms around it and is the highest part of the building. The roof of the vestibule is formally decorated.

• 

Building Application

Mahidasht Caravanserai was in the possession of the Cultural Heritage Administration, but since 2015 it has been in the possession of the Tourism and Automobile Center, and this caravanserai is set to become the largest tourism and hospitality complex in the west of the country. At present, the caravanserai rooms are equipped for travelers and pilgrims and have accommodation facilities such as TV, refrigerator, heating, and cooling systems. The hotel suites are equipped with bathrooms and toilets. Traditional restaurants, tea house, and baths for men and women are other facilities of this caravanserai.

The interesting point in Mahi Dasht city is that the pastures of Mahidasht route used to be a place for raising sharp horses of Parthian warriors and horse breeding pastures are famous in Mahidasht and if you go to Mahi Dasht, you can also use this equestrian club.

• 

• 

• 

Qasre Shirin Caravanserai

This caravanserai belongs to the Safavid and Pahlavi periods, part of this building was built in the Pahlavi period and is newer than other parts, which unfortunately was severely damaged in the Kermanshah earthquake in 2017 with a magnitude of 7.3.

Location Of Qasre Shirin Caravanserai

Shah Abbasi Caravanserai has located 20 km from the joint border of Iran and Iraq in the border city of Qasre Shirin.

Today, this caravanserai is located on Qasre Shirin Martyrs Street and next to Grand Mosque. You can park your car in front of the caravanserai and along the street, but there is no private parking.

Building Architecture

Its architecture is in the style of Iranian and Islamic art and is in a way that is following the climatic conditions of the region, which is cool in summer and warm in winter. The entrance of the caravanserai is located on the south side of the building and is arched and there is a platform on both sides. Around the central courtyard, several rooms have been built; In front of each of these rooms is a small porch; Behind the rooms, there are also large stables for keeping animals.

In the past, pilgrimage and trade caravans rested in the summer by standing in the outer courtyard and carrying their luggage into the chambers connected by a porch, and in the winter they rested inside the inn’s corridors, which remain warm. they did.

On the four sides of the wall around this caravanserai, guard towers have been built for the presence of guards who have been tasked with protecting the caravans from being attacked by thieves and looters.

• 

• 

• 

Building Application

In the past, this caravanserai was a resting place for caravans that used to pass through this place, but now it has become a market for the goods needed by the people and all kinds of consumer items that offer good clothes.

Anthropological Museum Of Qasre Shirin

Part of the Abbasi Caravanserai of Qasre Shirin has been dedicated to the Anthropology Museum since 2011. In this museum, the tools of agricultural and nomadic life, Kurdish clothing of South Kurdistan, and the means of nomadic life are exhibited.