Sarıhan, Historic caravanserai in Aktepe Köyü, Turkey.
Sarıhan is a medieval caravanserai in Aktepe Köyü, in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. The building is organized around a central courtyard flanked by stone chambers that once housed travelers, animals, and traded goods.
The building was put up in the 13th century under Seljuk rule, when the sultanate invested in a network of roadside rest stations to encourage trade across Anatolia. It continued to serve travelers long after the Seljuks, staying in use through the Ottoman period.
The name Sarıhan means "Yellow Caravanserai" in Turkish, likely referring to the warm color of the local stone used in its construction. Today visitors can walk through the same arched passageways that merchants once used to shelter their animals and goods overnight.
The site sits outside built-up areas and is most easily reached by car or as part of a tour from the Cappadocia region. The ground can be uneven in places, so sturdy shoes and sun protection are worth bringing for an outdoor visit.
Under the Seljuks, caravanserais like this one were built roughly every 30 miles (about 50 km) along main routes, so no traveler was ever more than a day's walk from shelter. This dense network made long-distance trade across Anatolia far more reliable than it had been before.
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