In Depth

The Caravansaries of the Silk Road

One of the five pillars of Islam is the Koranic obligation of alms-giving, and in the fulfillment of this obligation, the Selçuks were notorious for their commitment to public works. One of the institutions created by the Selçuks in Anatolia was the kervansaray or "caravan palace." Used as military bases during wartime and as inns in peacetime, these fortresses provided protection to merchants traveling along the trade routes, offering them up to 3 days of free lodging and an unprecedented system of insurance in the event of loss or injury. Caravansaries were spaced out along the trade routes at a distance of about every 49km (30 miles) -- 1 day's travel -- and from sunset to sunrise when the main gate was closed, guests were officially under the protection of the sultan.

With control over the land trade routes and the centralization of power, Anatolia became the center of international trade under the Selçuk Empire. Thus the "Silk Road" became a great source of wealth, as taxes on overland goods continued to fill the coffers of the sultan. Spices, ivory, and fine cloth were brought from the Far East, while surprisingly, much of the trade was in slaves. The Ottoman devsirme system was to collect men from the Eastern lands, train them in the art of warfare, and sell them off to neighboring southern states.

Rarely did anyone travel the entire length of the route. Caravansaries also operated as marketplaces, where merchants could unload their goods, have a bath, and move on. It was unusual for anyone to stay beyond the 3-day limit, because a person's selling power was linked to the availability of new clientele, and that fizzled out after the first day. A typical journey lasted about a month before a merchant headed back home; by the time a shipment of silk brocade found its way to Istanbul, the price had been considerably marked up.

The caravansary was built according to one of three basic plans: an open courtyard, a covered building, or a combination of the two. The most opulent of the caravansaries were those reflecting the prosperity of the sultan. Called "sultanhans," these caravansaries were built on an essentially identical plan. The main portal opened onto a courtyard with a small raised mosque at the center. To the left was an arcade providing much-needed shade for protection against the scorching summer sun. On the right was a second portal leading into the apartments, which included a kitchen and hamam. At the back was an ornamental gate for access into the winter hall, a covered structure that shows a striking resemblance to a medieval church. The vaults in the main nave could be up to 14m (45 ft.) high, while the top of the lantern, a central domed space providing the only light in the hall, could be at a height of up to 20m (65 ft.). The walls were thick enough to provide good insulation, and tiny windows in the lantern kept out the cold. Men and camels sometimes slept in the winter section together, which combined with the smell of spices and smoke from the oil lamps and water pipes, probably required the use of a whole lot of incense.

While the exterior of the fortress structure was plain, the Selçuks had a tradition of richly ornamenting the pishtaq or portal. The pishtaq, generally limestone or marble, displayed elaborate geometrical carvings, tracery, rosettes, and inscriptions, and was hollowed out into a stalactite niche much like that of a mihrab (a niche that indicates the direction of Mecca).

There were also private caravansaries called hans, mostly located in towns that charged a fee for lodging, while the bedesten was typically a marketplace and workshop only. These sensational structures dot the Anatolian landscape from Istanbul to Antalya and from Erzurum to Izmir, and are used as hotels, restaurants, or the dreaded discotheque; you'll probably have the opportunity to stay in one in the course of your travels.

The best conserved of all the Selçuk hans is the Sultanhani located about 32km (20 miles) outside of Aksaray on the road to Konya. The Sultanhani, built by Alaaeddin Keykubat I in 1229, has a highly ornamented pishtaq (a wide portal topped by a decorative niche) with a variety of decorative patterns applied in an unrelated, almost spontaneous manner.

Another fine example of a sultanhan is the Agzikarahan, located 15km (9 miles) outside of Aksaray on the road to Nevsehir. The Agzikarahan, the third largest in the area along the Silk Road, has weathered time to remain almost intact and encloses a space of over 6,000 sq. m (20,000 sq. ft.). The open section, now used to display carpets, was built by Alaaeddin Keykubat in 1231, and includes the central mosque reachable by steep and cumbersome steps. The winter section is attributed to Sultan Giyaseddin Keyhüsrev and was completed 8 years after the open section. Enormous stone vaults rise above the main aisle of the nave, flanked by raised platforms that were used for meals during the day and as sleep space at night. The camels were kept behind the raised area in the side bays. Unfortunately, the central dome has been lost.

Halfway between Aksaray and Nevsehir is the Alay Han, the first sultanhan to be built in Central Anatolia. Erected in 1192 by Sultan Kiliçarslan II, the Alay Han is threatened to become another "day facility" by the same investor who "preserved" the Sarihan in Avanos. The Sarihan, located 5km (3 miles) outside of Avanos, whose name means "yellow han" for the color of its stone, stands on an old trade route between Aksaray and Kayseri. Except for the mosque, which has been placed above the entrance, the caravansary follows a traditional sultanhan plan, with massive barrel vaults supporting the arcades and side aisles of the winter hall. It now serves as a daytime cafe and an evocative setting for a nightly staging of the sema, or rite of the Whirling Dervishes, which takes place in the winter hall or sleeping quarters. (Sarihan is 5km/3 miles outside of Avanos center, on the road to Kaysari; tel. 0384/511-3795; reservations required; admission 34YTL ($25); Apr-Oct nightly at 9pm -- show starts promptly, so get there early, because there's no consideration for latecomers.)