Izadkhast Caravanserai, Safavid caravanserai in Izadkhast, Iran.
The Izadkhast Caravanserai is a lodging structure with a central courtyard surrounded by guest rooms where merchants and travelers would rest and store goods. The building features barrel vaults made of brick and mortar, a design common to such way stations along major trade routes.
The structure was commissioned in 1620 under Shah Abbas I as part of a network of way stations linking Isfahan to Shiraz for merchant traffic. It later served as a gendarme post from 1945 to 1971 before receiving recognition as a national heritage site.
The building displays characteristic Safavid design with barrel vaults and tilework featuring blue backgrounds and calligraphic text. Visitors can observe the crafted details on walls and ceilings that reflect how merchants and travelers once moved through such structures.
The structure sits approximately 70 kilometers north of Abadeh and remains visible from the Isfahan-Shiraz highway. Visitors should expect uneven ground conditions and some sections without roofing, making sturdy footwear and caution advisable.
The building served as a gendarme outpost for several decades before becoming a heritage site, a practical adaptation that few visitors know about. This functional shift reveals how historic structures were repurposed to meet changing needs.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
