🏛️ The Persian Caravanserai
UNESCO World Heritage network of 54 historic roadside inns across Iran
📋 Fast Facts
- Inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023
- Network comprises 54 caravanserais across Iran, spanning multiple centuries
- Ganjali Khan in Kerman is a prominent example: Safavid-era (17th century) urban caravanserai
- Strategically positioned along major trade routes including the Silk Road
The Persian Caravanserai represents a unique UNESCO World Heritage designation recognizing not a single structure, but a network of 54 roadside inns distributed across Iran. These establishments, constructed over many centuries, document the infrastructure and hospitality systems that sustained long-distance trade, pilgrimage, and cultural exchange across vast regions. Ganjali Khan in Kerman exemplifies the integration of caravanserais into urban centers, housing a bazaar, mosque, madrasa, and ...