Sultanhani Caravanserai (Sultanhanı Kervansarayı)

Central Anatolia, Turkey 1 tours visit here

Sultanhani Caravanserai is one of the largest and best-preserved Seljuk caravanserais in Turkey, standing in the town of Sultanhani on the Central Anatolian plateau, on the historic road between Aksaray and Konya. Built in 1229 under Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat I, it was a fortified way station where merchants on the Silk Road routes could rest, stable their animals and store goods in safety; it was damaged by fire and rebuilt later in the same century. The entrance is a tall marble portal carved with geometric patterns and muqarnas, one of the clearest surviving examples of Anatolian Seljuk stonework. Inside is a large open courtyard lined with arcades and service rooms, with a raised kiosk mosque set on four arches at its centre. Beyond it lies a covered hall of heavy stone piers, built to shelter travellers and animals through the plateau winters and lit by a lantern dome over the central aisle. The bare stone and sheer scale give the place a quiet, austere feel. It is usually seen as a stop on the road between Cappadocia and Konya, and the courtyard and covered hall take well under an hour to walk. There is little shade, so early or late in the day is easier in high summer.