An overview of the Architecture and Formation of Caravanserais in Iran (case example: Isfahan Caravanserais)

The name of caravanserai is a combination of caravan (karban) which means a group of travelers and serai which means house and place. Both words are derived from the Pahlavi language. Caravanserai, in the Middle East, refers to inns or guest houses that are in a large space for the comfort of caravans. Travelers often stop for the night in this type of guest house that has a large yard. A large caravanserai is called a team. "Tim" or "Great Caravanserai" is the largest type of Islamic buildings. In a simple definition, a caravanserai refers to a building that accommodates a caravan, usually square or rectangular in plan, with a large and tall raised entrance, usually plain and plain, with walls that sometimes have windbreaks at the ends. has been A corridor with an arched arch, which is placed between the entrance and the inner courtyard, has provided enough space to accommodate the beasts of burden. On the raised platform that is placed around this yard, there are arches that detail the interior. The caravanserais, which include the best and most beautiful buildings in Iran, are divided into several categories from the point of view of architecture, the most important of which are circular, polygonal, two-porch, four-porch with a pillared hall, or in different forms. The caravanserais have an entrance door. They were wooden and heavy; which allowed the entry of cattle with bulky loads. The entrance had a porch and a porch, the roof of some porches was a simple half-dome, and the roof of some had more elaborate decorations. Usually, the entrance porch had two floors, and the royal residence was on the second floor to use these spaces for observation, and it was placed on a platform or row that was higher than the ground level. The caravanserai was located. Of course, sometimes they were located in the second courtyard, such as Rabat Sharaf. In general, the plan of schools is comparable with the dominant plan of caravanserais in terms of the layers around the yard. In the type of caravanserai with a courtyard, the rooms were located around the courtyard. The intermediate between the rooms and the courtyard was the Sereh Sayedhai porch, which accommodated various activities. In this article, we examine the architecture and formation of caravanserais in Iran, especially the caravanserais of Isfahan.

کلیدواژه ها:

Caravanserai ، Architecture ، Space ، Platform