More than 50 caravanserais, these large hostels open on Iran's historic roads, have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the UN organization announced Sunday. The inscription was validated in Riyadh during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee.
Often imposing and sometimes fortified, caravanserais were "roadside relays offering shelter and food to caravans, pilgrims and travelers," says UNESCO on its website. Iran now has more than 200, located on the historical trade routes that cross the country between Asia and Europe, such as the Silk Road.
Monumental gates and courtyards in which merchants could rest safely: the architecture of caravanserais (here, that of Kūhpāyeh) spread throughout the Silk Roads. Ali Eqra/Unesco
The UN organization has published on its website a map showing 54 caravanserais in the northeast, north and center of the country. They "are Iran's most influential and opulent examples, showcasing a wide range of architectural styles, fashions, climate adaptation and building materials, spread over thousands of kilometers and built over centuries," she explains. Among them are the caravanserais of Qasr-e Bahram, near the city of Semnan, Deyr-e Gachin, near Qom, and Anjireh Sangi, near Yazd, in the center.
Iran now has 27 historical sites classified by UNESCO, including the city of Persepolis, capital of the Achaemenid Empire (south), Armenian monasteries (northwest), the historic city of Yazd and Naghsh-e Jahan Square.