Notice: This is the official website of the All Empires History Community (Reg. 10 Feb 2002)

  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Register Register  Login Login

Caravanserais, the Loneliest Buildings!
 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
  Share Topic Share Topic  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
Cyrus Shahmiri View Drop Down
Administrator
Administrator
Avatar
King of Kings

Joined: 07-Aug-2004
Location: Iran
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6240 		  Quote Cyrus Shahmiri Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Caravanserais, the Loneliest Buildings!
    Posted: 21-Apr-2012 at 14:25
There are some hundreds historical Caravanserais all around Iran, especially in the middle of deserts where absolutely no one lives, the most important thing about them is that most of them are alone and you can hardly find any other building at least several kilometers around them.
 
Maranjab Caravanserai:
 














 
Zein-o-din round Caravanserai:
 
Back to Top
Cyrus Shahmiri View Drop Down
Administrator
Administrator
Avatar
King of Kings

Joined: 07-Aug-2004
Location: Iran
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6240 		  Quote Cyrus Shahmiri Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-Apr-2012 at 15:37
It should be mentioned that a caravanserai could be also in the middle of a forest, like Titi caravanserai in Gilan province:
 
 
 
 
Back to Top
Nick1986 View Drop Down
Emperor
Emperor
Avatar
Mighty Slayer of Trolls

Joined: 22-Mar-2011
Location: England
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 7940 		  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-Apr-2012 at 19:50
Was the caravanserai the medieval version of the truckstop/diner or motel: a place where you could buy supples, give your camels food and water and get a bed for the night?
Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains!
Back to Top
Cyrus Shahmiri View Drop Down
Administrator
Administrator
Avatar
King of Kings

Joined: 07-Aug-2004
Location: Iran
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6240 		  Quote Cyrus Shahmiri Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-Apr-2012 at 03:54
It was certainly the main purpose but I don't know in the medieval times there were some people who lived in these remote caravanserais to give services to passengers or caravanserais were just used as secure places by caravans, of course there should be at least a caretaker.
 
Anyway some of these caravanserais are already used as hotels and there are even 5 star hotels, like Shah Abbasi Hotel in Isfahan: http://www.abbasihotel.ir
 
[
Back to Top
oxydracae View Drop Down
Samurai
Samurai
Avatar

Joined: 26-Feb-2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 107 		  Quote oxydracae Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-Apr-2012 at 07:03
Originally posted by Nick1986

Was the caravanserai the medieval version of the truckstop/diner or motel: a place where you could buy supples, give your camels food and water and get a bed for the night?
Originally posted by Cyrus Shahmiri

It was certainly the main purpose but I don't know in the medieval times there were some people who lived in these remote caravanserais to give services to passengers or caravanserais were just used as secure places by caravans, of course there should be at least a caretaker.
 
 
During Middle Ages Trade Caravans and Armies used to carry their own food and dedicated food-makers usually accompanied them...


Edited by oxydracae - 22-Apr-2012 at 07:04
Back to Top
Cyrus Shahmiri View Drop Down
Administrator
Administrator
Avatar
King of Kings

Joined: 07-Aug-2004
Location: Iran
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6240 		  Quote Cyrus Shahmiri Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-Apr-2012 at 10:26
Originally posted by oxydracae

Originally posted by Nick1986

Was the caravanserai the medieval version of the truckstop/diner or motel: a place where you could buy supples, give your camels food and water and get a bed for the night?
Originally posted by Cyrus Shahmiri

It was certainly the main purpose but I don't know in the medieval times there were some people who lived in these remote caravanserais to give services to passengers or caravanserais were just used as secure places by caravans, of course there should be at least a caretaker.
 
 
During Middle Ages Trade Caravans and Armies used to carry their own food and dedicated food-makers usually accompanied them...
 
It sounds more logical but there was also a caretaker, the Persian word for caretaker is "Seraidar", according to my Persian dictionary seraidar was a person who took care of a caravanserai.
Back to Top
Nick1986 View Drop Down
Emperor
Emperor
Avatar
Mighty Slayer of Trolls

Joined: 22-Mar-2011
Location: England
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 7940 		  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-Apr-2012 at 19:21
The earliest caravanserais were built in the sixth century AD. It is believed they are a Syrian invention derived from royal palaces
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=g6PqNavNEdgC&lpg=PA236&dq=caravanserai&pg=PA236#v=onepage&q&f=false
Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains!
Back to Top
oxydracae View Drop Down
Samurai
Samurai
Avatar

Joined: 26-Feb-2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 107 		  Quote oxydracae Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24-Apr-2012 at 10:12
Yeah term "Seraidar" is there in Indian Languages also (no doubt, adapted from Persian)... but I dont think there would be any caretakers for such a remote buildings !!
Back to Top
Nick1986 View Drop Down
Emperor
Emperor
Avatar
Mighty Slayer of Trolls

Joined: 22-Mar-2011
Location: England
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 7940 		  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24-Apr-2012 at 19:45
What does "serai" mean? It sounds similar to "Syria"
Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains!
Back to Top
oxydracae View Drop Down
Samurai
Samurai
Avatar

Joined: 26-Feb-2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 107 		  Quote oxydracae Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25-Apr-2012 at 05:56
^^ 'Serai' means resting place or inn.
 
Back to Top
Cyrus Shahmiri View Drop Down
Administrator
Administrator
Avatar
King of Kings

Joined: 07-Aug-2004
Location: Iran
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6240 		  Quote Cyrus Shahmiri Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25-Apr-2012 at 16:19
"-i" is a suffix, the Persian word is "Sara/Sera", there was no "l" sound in the old Iranian langauge, you can change "r" to "l" to find the exact meaning in the Indo-European languages:
 
 
salon Look up salon at Dictionary.com
1690s, "large room or apartment in a palace or great house," from Fr. salon "reception room," from It. salone "large hall," from sala "hall," from a Germanic source (cf. O.E. sele, O.N. salr "hall," O.H.G. sal "hall, house," Ger. Saal), from P.Gmc. *salaz, from PIE *sel- "human settlement" (cf. O.C.S. selo "courtyard, village," Lith. sala "village").
Back to Top
Ollios View Drop Down
Chieftain
Chieftain
Avatar

Joined: 22-Feb-2011
Location: Diyar-ı Rum
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1130 		  Quote Ollios Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04-May-2012 at 11:37
Originally posted by Cyrus Shahmiri


Zein-o-din round Caravanserai:
 



I love this one Big smile

______________
A map from Turkey, which shows caravanseraies and hans in Turkey
http://imageshack.us/f/814/kervansaraylar.png/
Ellerin Kabe'si var,
Benim Kabem İnsandır
Back to Top
Nick1986 View Drop Down
Emperor
Emperor
Avatar
Mighty Slayer of Trolls

Joined: 22-Mar-2011
Location: England
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 7940 		  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04-May-2012 at 20:00
It's like something out of Star WarsCool
Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains!
Back to Top
Nick1986 View Drop Down
Emperor
Emperor
Avatar
Mighty Slayer of Trolls

Joined: 22-Mar-2011
Location: England
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 7940 		  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16-Jul-2012 at 19:27
Originally posted by Cyrus Shahmiri

"-i" is a suffix, the Persian word is "Sara/Sera", there was no "l" sound in the old Iranian langauge, you can change "r" to "l" to find the exact meaning in the Indo-European languages:
 
 
salon Look up salon at Dictionary.com
1690s, "large room or apartment in a palace or great house," from Fr. salon "reception room," from It. salone "large hall," from sala "hall," from a Germanic source (cf. O.E. sele, O.N. salr "hall," O.H.G. sal "hall, house," Ger. Saal), from P.Gmc. *salaz, from PIE *sel- "human settlement" (cf. O.C.S. selo "courtyard, village," Lith. sala "village").

Is there a link between the Persian/ Arabic word "sera" and the woman's name "Sarah"? Perhaps Abraham's wife was born in a settled town or village?
Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains!
Back to Top
Centrix Vigilis View Drop Down
Emperor
Emperor
Avatar

Joined: 18-Aug-2006
Location: The Llano
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 7392 		  Quote Centrix Vigilis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17-Jul-2012 at 15:15
Very simple.. very ornate in another sense. I like the high lonely lonely. I like them. But the Jinn are still probably snooping around at night which accounts for the lack of habitation. And one can never tell about the Jinn.
"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"

S. T. Friedman


Pilger's law: 'If it's been officially denied, then it's probably true'

Back to Top
Cyrus Shahmiri View Drop Down
Administrator
Administrator
Avatar
King of Kings

Joined: 07-Aug-2004
Location: Iran
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6240 		  Quote Cyrus Shahmiri Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18-Jul-2012 at 04:08
Originally posted by Nick1986

Is there a link between the Persian/ Arabic word "sera" and the woman's name "Sarah"? Perhaps Abraham's wife was born in a settled town or village?
 
There is absolutely no relation between Persian and Semitic languages, like Arabic and Hebrew, "Sarah" means "Princess" in the Hebrew language: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Sarah&allowed_in_frame=0
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.56a [Free Express Edition]
Copyright ©2001-2009 Web Wiz

This page was generated in 0.125 seconds.