Caravanserais were roadside inns, providing shelter, food and water for caravans, pilgrims and other travellers. The routes and the locations of the caravanserais were determined by the presence of water, geographical conditions and security concerns. The fifty-four caravanserais of the property are only a small percentage of the numerous caravanserais built along the ancient roads of Iran. They are considered to be the most influential and valuable examples of the caravanserais of Iran, revealing a wide range of architectural styles, adaptation to climatic conditions, and construction materials, spread across thousands of kilometres and built over many centuries. Together, they showcase the evolution and network of caravanserais in Iran, in different historical stages.

Brief synthesis Caravanserais were roadside inns located along ancient trade and pilgrimage routes, providing shelter, food, and water for caravans, pilgrims and other travellers. The serial property comprises fifty-four caravanserais considered to be the most famous, influential, and valuable examples of this type of building in Iran. Together, they showcase the evolution and diversity of caravanserais in Iran, in different historical stages. They exemplify a wide range of architectural styles, adaptation to climatic conditions (especially desert areas) and use of construction materials. The development and evolution of the property from the Achaemenid period (559-330 BC) to the Qajar period (1794-1925) shows the stability and importance of the caravanserais in Iranian history. The Persian Caravanserai bears testimony to travel traditions before the industrial age and the development of modern roads and railways. In addition to offering multiple services to travellers, caravanserais also had a social function as they were places where people from different ethnicities, languages and religions gathered, albeit for short periods of time. For centuries, they contributed to the exchange of human values, ideas, and knowledge. Criterion (ii): The fifty-four component parts of the Persian Caravanserai serial property reflect the diversity and variety of caravanserais built along the ancient roads of Iran for over two millennia. Caravanserais were the meeting point for travellers…