TEHRAN– A team of restorers and cultural heritage experts has commenced work to amend Dalaki caravanserai in a bid to make it a thriving tourist destination.“Dalaki caravanserai, which dates from the Qajar era, has undergone restoration.

The monument is located in Dashtestan county,” Bushehr province’s deputy tourism chief said on Thursday.The project involves repairing arched ceilings, and strengthening the walls, flooring, and the foundation, the official said.For many travelers to Iran, staying in or even visiting a centuries-old caravanserai can be a wide experience; they have an opportunity to feel the past, a time travel back to a forgotten age.Caravanserai or caravansary is a compound word combining “caravan” with “sara”; the former stands for a group of travelers and the latter means the building.

They often had massive portals supported by elevated load-bearing walls.

Guest rooms were constructed around the courtyard and stables behind them, with doors in the corners of the yard.A couple of years ago, the Iran tourism ministry introduced a scheme to keep them alive and profitable; tens of caravanserais are ceded to private investors for better maintenance.

Now, some are exclusively renovated and repurposed into boutique hotels and tourist lodgings.The earliest caravanserais in Iran were built during the Achaemenid era (550 - 330 BC).

Centuries later, when Shah Abbas I assumed power from 1588– to 1629, he ordered the construction of a network of caravanserais across the country.

Such roadside inns were once constructed along ancient caravan routes in the Muslim world to shelter people, their goods and animals.

The former Silk Roads may be the most famous example dotted by caravanserais.The Islamic Republic has submitted an inclusive dossier on its caravanserais to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

The dossier comprises the obligatory data about a selection of 56 caravanserais, which are scattered across the ancient land.

And the shortlist includes qualified caravanserais located in at least 24 provinces.AM