| Caravansaries in
Khorasan Road, Iran
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Mazinan
Caravansary
Mazinan village is located near Sabzevar, on Meshed road.
The caravansary of the same name was built on the
outskirts of the village, during the reign of Shah Abbas
II.
It is rectangular, 65x60 Sq. m, and it was built on
4-verandas plan. The portal entrance is on the north side
and 6 arches on either side flank it. There are 2
symmetrical rooms, 5x3.40 m, on either side of the
vestibule.
The courtyard is also rectangular, 30.50x35.50 m, and
there are 24 chambers of equal size, 3.10x2.30 m, around
the courtyard. Each chamber has a veranda of the same
size.
Opposite the portal entrance, there is the main veranda of
the caravansary, which measures 6.35 m long and 4.75 m
wide.
It contains a 2-story building. The first story is
rectangular, 6x4.75 m, and it contains a brick niche. It
is, in fact, the mosque of the building. The small stairs
lead to the second story, which is also rectangular,
5.30x7.50 m. The design of the second story seems to have
been built for special guests or important persons.
There is a stable on each corner of the caravansary. The
floor is of earth and the rest of the structure is from
fired brick.
There are 3 stone inscriptions on the upper part of the
entrance. One of the inscriptions is written in Thulth
script, by Mohammad Reza Imami. It states that the
caravansary was erected in 1663, at the Shah Abbas II, by
Hajj Moin Isfahani. Another inscription states that the
structure was repaired by a wealthy merchant, Hajj Ali
Naqi Kashani, in 1866.
It would be noted that according to the historical
sources, there was another important caravansary, located
in this village at the beginning of the Islamic period. At
the present, traces of the old caravansary and parts of
its ruins are still visible on the north side of the
Safavid Caravansary.
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