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6THE ROLE OF CARAVANSERAIS IN TRADE: BARD-E SHIRAZ AND ROSTAM CARAVANSERAIS, IRAN
Morteza Khanipour
Assistant Professor, Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage, Samarkand, Uzbekistan (khanipoor.m@ut.ac.ir) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11224121
Abstract. The archaeological survey of Bavanat county was conducted by the author in 2015, during which 200 archaeological sites from the Neolithic to the Islamic period were identified. During this survey, two caravanserais, Bard-e Shiraz andRostam, were identified, and it seems that these two caravanserais were also part of a wider commercial network. In this article, while introducing these two caravanserais, their roles and positions in Iran's commercial route have been discussed. Both caravanserais are suburban caravanserais with a square plan, having a central courtyard and rooms around it, dating back to the Safavidperiod. Caravanserais were one of the key factors in the development and expansion of trade on the Silk Road. These important buildings served as rest and waiting points for trade caravans along trade routes.
Keywords: Iran, Bavanat, Caravanserai, Trade, Safavid.
INTRODUCTION
Archaeological evidence shows that trade was established in the prehistoric period (Earle 1982; Alden 1982; Renfrew 1993) and that there was extensive trade in Central and Western Asia during the Bronze Age (Kohl 1975; Tosi 1977; Potts 1993). This business has developed over time, and a large trade route from East Asia to Europe has been created, which is called the Silk Road. Iran has also been on this road due to its geographical location. Most of the kings of this country have emphasized security and expanding the road for military and commercial purposes. For this purpose, various midway facilities such as mills, caravanserais, and bridges have been built. The Safavid government was established in the 16th century (Floor 2001; Savory 2007), and Shah Abbas, the second king of this dynasty, paid a lot of attention to trade and the construction of caravanserais (Chardin, 1988). During this period, maritime trade also expanded, so there were many caravanserais to serve the caravans. They were built on the way from the Persian Gulf to the center of Iran (Fifs 1&2). In 2015, the author visited the two caravanserais of Bard-e Shiraz and Rostam during the archaeological survey of Bavanat county. Although there have been many researches about Iran's caravanserais (Kiani and Kleiss, 1994; Ehsani, 2002; Hadizadeh Kakhki, 2014), none of them mentioned these two caravanserais. In this article, an attempt is made to introduce these caravanserais and their role in the development of trade in the Safavid era.
Definition of Caravanserai
Caravanserai is derived from caravan or Karbat, which means a group of travelers who traveled together, and Sarai means house and place (Kiani 2013). Caravanserais have had various functions in the past, which have led to different names being used for such buildings, including: Karbat, Robat, Sabat, and Khan (Kiani and Kleiss 1994). These buildings have been constructed since the Achaemenid era as stations called Chaparkhaneh, in order to provide fast communication. During the Islamic era, such buildings were constructed in cities, villages, or on the edge of deserts and mountain passes with different names such as Robat and Caravanserai.
Factors of the Origin of Caravanserais
The climatic and natural situation of Iran was also effective in the creation of these buildings. The climatic condition and the relatively dry climate of Iran made the distance between
cities and settlements far from each other. Due to the long distance between cities, places to rest and protect against thieves were needed (Hillenbrand 1998; Kiani 2013). More than any other factor, trade played a significant role in the origin of caravanserais. The expansion of trade and commerce, along with the distance between commercial centers, required the security of roads and led to the construction of many caravanserais along the roads or inside the cities for the convenience of merchants (Hillenbrand 1998). Caravanserai served as centers of exchange for basic goods and services for traders and travelers. They made it possible for traders to exchange their goods, get food, and rest during their journeys. Additionally, caravanserais served as information and cultural exchange centers. Here, merchants and travelers could share commercial and cultural information, learn about the latest political and economic developments. The existence of these commercial centers created job opportunities and economic growth in the surrounding areas and helped to increase local wealth.
Bavanat County
Bavanat county is located in the northeast of Fars province. For the first time, Stein excavated some Bavanat sites (Stein, 1936). Furthermore, in 2015, the author conducted an archaeological survey in this county. During the survey, 200 sites were identified, dated from the Neolithic to the late Islamic period. These sites include ancient sites, historical castles, ritual sites or temples, mosques, bridges, cemeteries, Caravanserai, Hammam (Bathhouse), water mills, rock art, archaeological mines, and slag sites (Khanipour et al., 2021a). In addition, the Hormangan site was excavated in 2016 (Khanipour et al., 2021b).
Bard-e Shiraz Carvansarai
Bard-e Shiraz caravanserai is located in Bavanat county of Fars province in the south of Iran (fig 1). This caravanserai is located in a desert landscape where there are Bavanat mountains on the south side and the desert on the northeast side; today the closest city to it is the city of Bavanat. Khan Khore Caravanserais are located 58 kilometers northwest and Zainuddin Caravanserais 125 kilometers northeast of this building. Since there is no city or village between Zainuddin Caravanserai and Bard-e Shiraz, and due to the long distance, there was probably a caravanserai between these two. People from the eastern parts like Yazd have planned to go to Shiraz or the Persian Gulf and have rested in this caravanserai.
The above caravanserai is a type of caravanserai outside the city, which is located on the road between Yazd and Shiraz. The water of the caravanserai is supplied by the Kariz that is located next to it, and there is also a bathroom to the north of it. The above building has a square plan with dimensions of 40 x 40 meters and its area is 1600 m2. The building was probably of a single-porch type with a central courtyard, around which there were many rooms for businessmen to rest. Only the northeastern part of the building remained intact. The entrance to the building is from the northeast side (figs 3& 6), which leads to the central courtyard through a corridor. There are 7 semi-circular towers around the caravanserai (fig 4), each with two floors. There are 3 rooms on each side of the corridor, the rooms are connected to each other. Shahneshin of the building is located on the northeast side and on the entrance corridor, which includes a central room and three side rooms (fig 5). In this room there is a fireplace for heating and some niches. To access these rooms, there is a staircase on their south side. The surrounding fence of the building is made of stone and Saroj, and the palace buildings are made of bricks.
Rostam Caravanserai
Rostam Caravanserai is located 20 kilometers south of Bavanat city and 43 kilometers south of Bard-e Shiraz Caravanserai and on the southern slope of Mount Yaghi (fig 1). The
caravanserai has a square plan of 40 x 40 meters with a central courtyard and surrounding rooms. There are rectangular rooms on three sides, east, north, and west, which are built using stone and mortar materials. The entrance to the building was also from the southwest side. This building has been destroyed over time due to various factors (figs 7 & 8). At a distance of 15 meters from the entrance, there is a semi-underground room with a dome-shaped ceiling, the walls and ceiling of which are made of stone. Considering the size, plan, and construction materials, it can be assumed that this caravanserai is from the same period as the Bard-e Shiraz caravanserai. Like Bard-e Shir, this caravanserai has been used for caravans traveling between the central and eastern regions of Iran and the Persian Gulf.
Trade in the Safavid Era and the Development of Caravanserais
International trade was one of the key factors in Iran's economic development during the Safavid period. Considering the importance of trade, Shah Abbas took extensive measures to strengthen and expand it. Among these measures, we can mention the reconstruction of commercial roads and main commercial routes, creating safe passages for trade, and encouraging international trade. The establishment of caravanserais as rest and gathering points for merchants and travelers along trade routes helped to facilitate and promote international trade. Also, Shah Abbas defeated the Portuguese in the Persian Gulf and strengthened the southern ports of Iran. These actions led to the expansion of trade with Europe, India, and China. During this period, the commercial relationship between Iran and Europe expanded, and the most exported product of Iran was silk (Eshraghi, 1997; Bastani Parizi, 1999), which was produced in different cities of Iran. Shah Abbas himself supervised the silk trade (Kashani, 2014) and built 999 caravanserais for the development of trade (Chardin, 1988). He (Shah Abbas) was not the only one who built these caravanserais; all his powerful emirs, merchants, owners, and the rich people of the cities were obliged to build caravanserais on the roads (Bastani Parizi, 1999). During this period, due to Safavid and Ottoman disputes, Shah Abbas boosted maritime trade. For this purpose, numerous caravanserais were built on the north-south route; most of the caravanserais in this period were built with stone, brick, and plaster materials, and their plan was square or rectangular with a central courtyard, which is the type of caravanserai in Bard Shiraz and Rostam. However, caravanserais with polygonal or circular plans were also built in this period. The location of the caravansary shows that one route extends from the central regions such as Isfahan to Fars and another route extends from the east, Yazd, to Fars, and both routes end at Bard-e shiraz Caravanserai. It has been the source of the east and north of Iran to the south and the Persian Gulf. These two caravanserais were also built and were active in the development of sea trade during the Safavid period.
Conclusion
During the Safavid era, Iran's trade flourished, a large part of which was carried out through sea trade. For the comfort of caravans on the way from north to south of Iran, various caravanserais were built. Bard caravanserai of Shiraz and Rostam were also built in this period according to the plan and construction materials, and merchants who intended to trade by sea from the Persian Gulf with the eastern, central, and northern regions of Iran used this caravanserai on their way. These two buildings had a square plan with a central courtyard, which were built with stone, brick, and plaster. The Rostam caravanserai was abandoned and gradually destroyed after this period. Its walls were destroyed, and new rooms were rebuilt with clay and layers.
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Figure 1: distribution of Caravanserais in south Iran; 1- Madar Shah 2-Abbasi Gaz 3- Anoshirvan 4- Barsian 5- Mahyar 6- AminAbad 7- Izadkhast 8-Khankhoreh 9- Abalqasem 10- Saryazd 11- Zein-o-din 12- Bard-e Shiraz 13- Rostam 14- Bajgah 15- Shah Abasi 16- Mian Jangal 17- Borashloo 18- Jahrom 19- Safiqoli 20- Barmir
Figure 2: The architecture of Iranian caravanserais with circular, polygonal and square
plans.
Figure 3: Overview of the Bard-e Shiraz caravanserai
Figure 4: Tower and rampart of the Bard-e Shiraz caravanserai
Figure 5: Interior architecture of the Bard-e Shiraz caravanserai
Figure 6: The entrance to the Bard-e Shiraz caravanserai
Figure 8: Architectural remains of the Rostam caravanserai
