In 1601, Shah Abbas the First left Isfahan to walk 1200 kilometres to the holy city of Mashhad. In 2008-9, I used the daily records of the Shah’s astrologer to be the first person in four hundred years to pinpoint the journey-route – bumping across salt deserts and around tiny Iranian villages in various unsuitable vehicles.
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.
This satellite image of Ahuan (563km from Isfahan) shows the Ribat-i Ahuan, one of only three places (all ribats) specifically named as stopping places for Shah Abbas along the Khurasan Highroad. The grand caravanserai here, although often said to have been constructed by Shah Abbas, was actually built later (in 1685).
Between Abdolabad and Lasjird , Shah Abbas stopped at Ab-i Barik (literally, ‘narrow water’: 478km from Isfahan). The only extant water in this area is a charming handsbreadth, as shown here.
This shows the remains of the shahnishin in the ruins of the caravanserai at Abdolabad (462km from Isfahan). Although shahnishinliterally means ‘place for the Shah to rest’; Shah Abbas probably did not rest here at all, and in 1601 is more likely to have camped outside the caravanserai.
Here are the remains of the ancient qaleh (fort) in Deh Namak. This has ‘Sassanian-size’ bricks and is referenced in early Arab chronicles. To the right is the dome of an extant abambar (covered water-tank).