The Ribat-i Sharaf: One of The Main Caravanserais on Silk Road

Pick up Mashhad-Sarakhs Road eastward; the rest place is around 2 hours and 30 minutes away from holy city of Mashhad.

Robat-i Sharaf (also Robat-e Sharaf), a historical building in northeast Iran, was a caravanserai on the road between Nishapur (present-day Neyshabur, Iran) and Merv (present-day Mary, Turkmenistan).

As one of the main caravanserais on Silk Road, Robat-i Sharaf dates back to the reign of Sultan Sanjar in 1154 (Seljuk Era, 1037-1194).

Unlike the usual caravanserais, used by ordinary people, Robat-i Sharaf was a palace-like caravanserai used by royals as well. It has two courtyards: The first one for serving units and keeping animals and the inner yard for accommodating of the king, his wives and other officials.

Robat-i Sharaf Caravanserai, referred to as Abgineh Caravanserai in historical texts, is an eye-catching building in the middle of desert, built with brick and plaster. Besides accommodation units and four terraces with cruciform architecture around each yard, the caravanserai has mosques, stalls and a pool in inner yard.

The caravanserai is a great work of art. Seljuk artists have ornamented the building with stucco and bricklaying. There is a variety of bricklaying in all parts of caravanserai. Robat-i Sharaf is famous as the ‘museum of brickwork’ for different shapes and inscriptions made with and on brick. There are also stucco carvings with vegetal and geometric patterns on top of two mihrabs (alter) and terraces.

Source: Persia Port