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This is the ‘golden’ Seljuk caravanserai of Zafaraniyya. Ferrier reports that this superb building was traditionally described as having 1700 rooms within its walls, also baths, a mosque, and handsome gardens. Despite all this, Shah Abbas is reported to have stayed in the localribat (fort).
This satellite image of Zafaraniyya shows how the road has probably moved northwards in modern times: previously, the Seljuk caravanserai faced onto it. Down through the village is the proposed site of the Ribat-i Do Dar (1070km from Isfahan). [SA2.18]
This caravanserai in Mazinan village (937km from Isfahan) is undated but is likely to have been constructed after the reign of Shah Abbas. Unusually, it has a hamam inside and is fronted by a very substantial abambar (covered water-tank) which even has two small badgirs(windcatchers) to cool the water reserve.
Just outside Mazinan (937km from Isfahan), these two caravanserais face each other across the modern road: showing how the highroad here has not moved in hundreds of years.
The Ottomans specifically noted the presence of local ‘brigands’ here at Al Hak (879km from Isfahan). They also documented a spring and this, unusually, is still functioning – as shown by the greenery around the tumbledown caravanserai.
Mayamay (816km from Isfahan) has an especially impressive caravanserai, as shown here. Like all the other dated caravanserais along the Khurasan Highroad, this building was constructed after the reign of Shah Abbas the First (in 1655, in the reign of Shah Abbas the Second).
Bedasht (755km from Isfahan) is known to have been a much more important place in earlier times, and was even mentioned by the Arab geographers. Now the local post-Abbas caravanserai is called qaleh (fort). Perhaps this reflects the importance of the earth fort known to have been situated here – the site of which is tentatively indicated …
This satellite image shows the ventilation / maintenance holes for the many, now-dry qanats (underground irrigation canals) at Ghuriyan (735km from Isfahan).
At Ghuriyan (735km from Isfahan), the traditional water sources, qanats (underground irrigation canals), are now dry. These excavations are where the local muqannis (skilled qanat diggers) tried unsuccessfully to save the ancient system as the water table fell.
These are the imposing walls of the pre-Safavid Ribat-i Ahuan (563km from Isfahan). The ground plan of this fort is still easily visible on satellite images.