Sa'd al-Saltaneh Caravanserai
UNESCO World Heritage Site in Iran
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Sa'd al-Saltaneh Caravanserai (Persian: کاروانسرای سعدالسلطنه) is a large Caravanserai located in the city of Qazvin, Qazvin province, Iran.[1] Built during the Qajar era, the caravanserai is one of Iran's best preserved urban caravanserais, and the world's largest indoor caravanserai.[2][3][4]
| Sa'd al-Saltaneh Caravanserai | |
|---|---|
| کاروانسرای سعد السلطنه (Persian) | |
| |
 Interactive map of Sa'd al-Saltaneh Caravanserai | |
| Periods | Qajar era |
| History | |
| Built | 1848–1896 |
| Built by | Mohammad Bagher Sa'd as-Saltaneh |
| Site notes | |
Architectural style | Iranian |
| Public access | Open |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, iii |
| Designated | 2023 |
| Part of | The Persian Caravanserai |
| Reference no. | 1668-054 |
The builder (patron) of this large caravanserai is Sa'd al-Saltaneh, the ruler of Qazvin during the Qajar era.[5] With an area of 6.2 hectares, the caravanserai is built on a square plan, has 4 iwans facing a courtyard. The interiors are decorated with Muqarnas.
The Hujrehs, or the rooms for the travelers, are situated one meter above the courtyard ground level. The Hashti behind the southern iwan has the largest gonbad, with 4 semi-domes adjacent to it.[6]
The eastern-western axis of the Hashti is called Dalan-e Qeisariyeh (دالان قيصريه ) or "Caesar's Hall", and the north–south axis of the Caravanserai's Hashti is named Dalan-e Ghahremani (دالان قهرماني) or "Ghahremani Hall". The former is connected to the "Bazaar of Vizir" of the city.
There are also two smaller courtyards in the east and west of the Caravanserai.
