Caravansaries were the oldest tourist facilities in Iran.
Built by Shah Abbas I of the Safavid dynasty on the section of the Silk Road which crossed Iran, the caravansary is located on the southern shore of Qom Lake near the Aran and Bidgol regions in Isfahan Province.
When cars replaced camels, new hotels became popular and old caravansaries were neglected and fell into disrepair.
The Maranjab Caravansary is gradually being renovated in order to attract tourists. However, the restrooms and baths added to the building are discordant with the traditional structure of Maranjab.
The roof has been renovated and some patterns have been added to it during the restoration process, which began in 2000.
Although the locals often go to the site on Thursdays for recreation, there is no drinking water available.
The whole building was constructed on a platform. There are several rooms around the caravansary with a garden in the middle. Each room has two ovens, one for heating and the other for cooking. It is comprised of four verandas and six watch towers. The camel stables used to be located in the western veranda and the entrance was on the northern porch. At the entrance, there were two platforms in front of each other, where the number of people and camels and the amount merchandise were registered.
Maranjab, which was built with the aim of safeguarding commercial caravans, is gradually being converted into a temporary residence in the desert.
NM/ML
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MNA
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