Semnan province is full of historical caravanserai structures. Their number reaches 24 caravanserais. This number of caravanserais is due to Semnan being a connecting road between the West and the East of Iran and a continuous passage of commercial and traveling caravans. Seven of the Semnan province carvansarais are in Mayamey district. Jahanabad Car vansarai is one of them and one of the oldest structures on this road.
Miandasht, Abbas Abad, Al Haq, Sadr Abad, Mohammad Abad Pol Abrisham, Sangi Sharif Abad and Jahan Abad are Mayamey caravanserais. From among them, Jahanabad, which is 800 years old, is outstanding among these structures. Only parts of its walls and towers are still standing, but except for these two parts, other parts of Jahanabad carvansarai are nothing more than ruins.
Jahanabad carvansarai is 65 km away from mayamey. A small village there is overlooking this important archetecture. In the historic past this village was on the way to jajarm and a part of the long silk road. Now, only 40 families live in Jahanabad village. There is a dirt road from the town to the caravanserai, which is 20 kilometers long. Jahanabad caravansarai is sometimes called “Sepanj.”
Jahanabad Caravansarai (Sepanj Caravanserai) was built in the 8th century of the lunar calendar and at the time of the rule of the Ilkhans over Iran. During that historical period, more or less many caravanserais and robats were built. Jahanabad had four porches and built in a rectangular shape. In the past centuries, this caravanserai was a place where people took refuge from looters and thieves and kept themselves and their possessions safe inside its walls.
Jahanabad caravansarai, thought significantly damaged, if restores, can be a place for tourists and lovers of Iranian architecture. In this way, it will bring economic income to the villagers of Jahanabad.
Restoration and repair of Jahanabad carvansarai started fin 2019. One of the works done was strengthening the structure’s remains (IRNA news agency’s report). Another hopeful news is the transfer of the ownership document of this historical caravanserai to the cultural heritage department of Semnan province (ISNA news agency – Ordibehesht 1401). The Caravanserai document was issued in the name of this office to protect it with more attention and carry out more detailed restorations.
The mechanism and use of Iran’s carvansarais in the past centuries deserves much attention and research. This mechanism had characteristics that went back to people’s social behavior and their way of traveling, whether they were travelers going from a city or village to another place or those who were moving goods and reached the caravanserai with their camel train and spend a day or two there.
In the hot seasons of the year, the caravans traveled at night to avoid the heat. At the end of the evening or in the middle of the night, the caravan would move and slowly and steadily make its way to reach another caravanserai and rest there. At this time, the camels were left to graze in the fields around the caravanserai. Towards evening or in the middle of the night, caravans would slowly and steadily make their way towards the next carvansarai and rest there. The camels were left to graze in the fields around the carvansarai. In the evening they were brought back, loads were tied on their back, and caravans would prepare to continue their journey. This system of transport continued until carriages came in to the scene. Later automobiles replaced the carriages, and thus the traveling and transportation means changed drastically Carvansarais, which had maintained their function for several centuries, now turned into structures that were not of much use any more; they turned into either warehouses or a base for soldiers. But now, these beautiful structures and their beautiful architecture are considered a part of our history and social identity, and they are of high value from the point of view of art and social history. Investigation and research on these structure, which have been done with the help of experts and researchers, have clarified many essential and valuable points of our history. For this reason, careful and continuous maintenance of caravanserai structures is a cultural necessity that should not be ignored.
