Chehel Payeh Caravanserai: A Safavid Roadside Shelter in Iran
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.8
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Iran
- Primary era
- Early Modern
- Eras represented
- Early Modern
- Civilizations
- Safavid
- Site type
- Economic
- Remains
- Caravanserai
On this page6 sections
History
Chehel Payeh Caravanserai is a Safavid-period caravanserai in Iran near Tabas, built under Safavid rule by Ehtesham Soleyman Khan Bahjat al-Dowleh of Bam. A caravanserai was a roadside establishment offering shelter, water, and related facilities to travelers, merchants, pilgrims, and pack animals. This one was founded for the comfort of people crossing the Lut Desert, especially those traveling along the historic road between Kerman and Deyhuk.
A Safavid foundation
Ehtesham Soleyman Khan Bahjat al-Dowleh was a prominent and highly respected figure from Bam. During the preceding two or three years, he had spent substantial sums on constructing the caravanserai and had also built two well-made water cisterns there. The investment supported movement across a demanding desert route and helped maintain a stopping place for both commercial caravans and religious travelers.
A pilgrimage route and modern recognition
The road through Chehel Payeh connected southern Iranian cities with Khorasan. Pilgrims from the southern provinces traveling to the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, a major destination for followers of Twelver Shi’a Islam, used this route and passed through the caravanserai.
Chehel Payeh Caravanserai entered Iran’s national heritage list in the Iranian calendar year 1399 under registration number 33158. In 2023, it joined 53 other historic Iranian caravanserais in the UNESCO World Heritage serial property The Persian Caravanserai. The inscription, made during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, recognized the property under criteria (ii) and (iii), concerning cultural exchange between regions and civilizations and an exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or civilization. The inscription was described as Iran’s 27th World Heritage property.
Remains
Setting and surviving structure
The caravanserai stands in a valley bearing the name Chehel Payeh, near Darband village in the Central District of Tabas County. It lies along the historic Kerman to Deyhuk road, while the modern road from Tabas toward Ravar passes nearby. The name probably derives from stone columns that may once have numbered about forty, linking the place-name to a prominent element of its original construction.
Water installations
The site includes two deep wells and two water-storage reservoirs. These installations formed part of the caravanserai’s physical provision for travelers crossing the desert and complement the sheltering function of the complex.