TEHRAN – The centuries-old Mehr Caravanserai is to be leased out to private investors for a couple of years.

The tourism directorate of Khorasan Razavi province has decided to rent out the landmark caravanserai for commercial use, CHTN reported on Tuesday.

The two-story caravanserai covers an area of 5,200 square meters and it has 20 cozy chambers that encircle the courtyard.

Staying at or even just visiting a centuries-old caravanserai can be a memorable experience for many visitors to Iran because it allows them to experience the past and travel back in time. Narratives say it is not hard to fancy the hustle and bustle of merchants bargaining on prices, recounting their arduous journeys to one another while their camels chew hay!

The earliest caravanserais in Iran were built during the Achaemenid era (550 - 330 BC). Centuries later, when Shah Abbas I assumed power from 1588 to 1629, he ordered the construction of a network of caravanserais across the country. Such roadside inns were once constructed along ancient caravan routes in the Muslim world to shelter people, their goods and animals. The former Silk Road may be the most famous example dotted by caravanserais.

The Islamic Republic has submitted an inclusive dossier on its caravanserais to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. The dossier comprises obligatory data about a selection of 56 caravanserais, which are scattered across the ancient land. And the shortlist includes qualified caravanserais located in at least 24 provinces.

AFM