Seljuks, being at their golden age, had built a caravanserai in Cappadocia every 30 to 40 km. distance to each other (one-day camel trip distance) on the Great Silk Road and protected it along the way.
While anything that a trader would need was provided such as; physicians, doctors, veterinarians and shoe repairers, etc.
Unlike the usual trade control by temples that used to charge %5 to % 20 tax out of the total cost of the goods; these services in Anatolia were free of charge for three nights, not only for local traders but also for foreigners which helped Seljuk becoming rich politically as well. Guards would be taking care of the possessing inside while the trader would take a rest.
The tax would be collected from the trader’s’ stall in the Hans (today’s local markets); displaying their goods there; would pay a monthly rental fee to the government which would all be spent for the merchants at these public and safest facilities.
Today, Sultanhan, Sarihan, and Agzikarahan Caravanserais are in good shape and worth visiting.
Saruhan also hosts the whirling dervish ceremony: see our guide to the Sema in Cappadocia.
Caravanserais Worth Visiting
- Sultanhanı (Aksaray): built in 1229 by Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I, it is one of the largest and most beautiful Seljuk caravanserais in Anatolia, with a magnificent carved marble portal, a courtyard with a small mosque raised on arches in its center and a vast covered hall for the winter.
- Ağzıkarahan: on the road between Aksaray and Nevşehir, finished in the 1230s, a fine stop on the way to the Ihlara Valley.
- Sarıhan (near Avanos): built in 1249, with a beautiful portal of yellow stone that gave it its name, “the Yellow Inn”. Today its hall is the stage of the evening Whirling Dervish (Sema) ceremony.
Life on the Silk Road
A caravanserai was built like a small fortress, with high walls and a single gate that was closed at night. Inside, there were rooms for the travelers, stables for the camels and horses, a bath, a small mosque and storerooms for the goods. The caravans would rest, repair their equipment, and continue the next morning towards Konya, Kayseri or Sivas.
Our guides like to tell the story of the caravanserais on the way to the Ihlara Valley, or on the road between Konya and Cappadocia. An evening Sema ceremony at Sarıhan is a wonderful way to end a day in Cappadocia; ask us to book your seats.
Cappadocia in winter, from the air
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