Amin Abad Caravanserai

The Amin Abad Caravanserai (کاروانسرای امین آباد) is one of the main attractions on the Isfahan-Shiraz Road, 42 kilometers south of Shahreza in Isfahan province. It is believed that the caravanserai was constructed during the Safavid Shah Abbas I’s reign (1571-1629). In the Safavid period, Isfahan experienced the peak of the flourishing of the Iranian-Islamic architecture, and it became known to half the world (Nesf’e Jahan). The Safavid dynasty was the heir of a royal tradition that had root in the Sasanian arch and the Seljuk dome. A mosque, water reservoir and bath are in its close proximity, making it a suitable resting place during past long journeys.

It is one of the rare caravanserais designed and built on an octagonal base and is decorated with bricks with eight circular towers. It covers approximately 2800 square meters, and an octagonal courtyard occupies a considerable area at its center. Each side of the outer octagon is 24 meters long and 6 meters tall while the inner walls are 16.7 meters long and slightly shorter at 5.4 meters. It contains an iwan on each of the courtyard's four central sides. These central iwans are flanked by two chambers and smaller iwans. 

Each of the secondary sides consists of five smaller iwans with chambers behind them. The chambers are approximately 2.5 by 3 meters. Stables are located behind the chambers and are the outer most structure within the caravanserai.

Each of the northern, eastern and western iwans has a design seat behind it and connect to its flanking chambers. In this way, each iwan forms a large consistent spatial ensemble together with its surrounding areas. 

The base of the design seat behind the northern iwan is different from those of the two other ones, being circular. The iwan of the southern side is two-storied and more profound than the other iwans. It has become part of an entrance ensemble and, together with its flanking areas and the entrance portico, it constitutes the tallest section of the caravanserai. The chambers flanking the iwan are also two-storied. Entering from the front entrance in addition to two security rooms and the caravanserai manager are two staircases that lead to the second floor. 

In the first Pahlavi era, the caravanserai was transformed into military barracks, and later into a gendarmerie garrison. It has been reconstructed in recent years by the Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Isfahan Province and its furnished rooms are ready to be used for hosting tourists.

The Amin Abad Caravanserai was registered on the National Heritage List in 1969. In 2023 UNESCO added 54 Iranian roadside inns, including the Amin Abad Caravanserai, to its World Cultural Heritage list under the name Persian Caravanserais.