Sangachal Caravansarai, Medieval caravanserai in Sanqaçal, Azerbaijan
Sangachal Caravanserai is a stone structure with semi-cylindrical defensive features arranged around a central courtyard on the Caspian shore. The building contains separate merchant chambers and distinct spaces for livestock, organized symmetrically around the interior courtyard.
The structure was built between 1439 and 1440 under Shirvanshah Khalilullah I and served merchants traveling the trade route connecting Baku to Salyan. Its construction occurred during a period of strong commercial activity in the coastal regions.
The Arabic inscriptions carved into the northeastern wall reveal the building techniques and design preferences of medieval craftsmen in the Shirvan-Absheron region. These marks reflect how local builders adapted their methods to withstand the harsh coastal climate and heavy use by traveling merchants.
The site is located about 45 kilometers south of Baku near the Dzheyrankechmez river and is best reached by car. Two separate water collection systems are visible, which supplied the travelers and animals passing through.
This was one of the few caravanserais along the Caspian coast equipped with its own water systems to overcome scarcity in the region. The twin water collection methods allowed merchants to travel longer routes without depending on external sources.
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