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Agzikarahan
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Sultan Han (Aksaray)
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Sultan Han (Kayseri)
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Karatay
Han
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SaruHan
 During
the Seljuk Period, the most important three factors in trade
were roads, caravans and inns. The caravans, during
their long journeys, would stop at inns to rest in the
evenings. They would set off again after having met their
own and their animals' needs. The beginning of the
caravansaries, first seen in the Central Asia during the
times of Caravans, Ghaznavids and the Great Seljuk State,
were building called "Ribat". These buildings, first
constructed as small buildings for military uses, later were
developed and changed into larger buildings and were used
for both religious purposes and as inns for travelers.
Especially during the times of Seljuk Sultans
Kilicarslan II and Alaaddin Keykubat I, the construction
of these buildings accelerated and
the security of the trading roads was provided by the
state. The loss of the trades would be met by
the states, that is, there was ,
in a way,an insurance system. During that period, both
home and foreign trades prospered. In this way, the
Seljuks, already strong economically, became politically
strong too.
In the caravanserais, foreign traders as well as native
ones would be put up for three days. Their shoes would
be repaired, the poor would be given new shoes. The ill
would be treated and animals would be tended, if needed
the horses would be shoed. For their religious practices,
they would use the "Kosk Mescid", small mosque, in
the centre of the courtyard. The "Kosk Mescid", usually
located in the centre of the courtyard, was the most
important part of the caravanserais. They are
normally built on an arched base.
The courtyards are normally surrounded with bedrooms,
depots, bath house
and bathrooms. "Mangals" (braziers) or "tandirs" (oven
in the ground) were used to heat the places whereas
candles and lamps were used for light. All these
services were
provided by the people working in caravanserais; e.g.,
doctor, imam (prayer leader),
depot officer, veterinarian, messenger,
blacksmith, and cook. Stones cut from the volcanic rock
were used in the construction of the caravanserais in
the Region of Cappadocia. For
 defense
purposes, their walls are like castle walls. Some of the
best examples of Seljuk stonemasonry can be seen at the
entrances, called "Tac Kapi". Although dragon, lion
motifs and floral designs were among the ones frequently
used, in the Cappadocia region generally geometrical
designs were preferred. The doors, as strong as the
castle doors, were made of iron.
Caravanserais were built along roads running from
Antalya - Konya - Kayseri to the land of Turkomans
passing through Erzurum and Tabriz and from the Black
Sea region to Iraq via Amasya - Tokat - Sivas - Malatya
-Diyarbakir at a distance of 30-40km, one day camel trek.
It is possible to see some of the most beautiful
examples of caravanserais in the region of
Cappadocia, especially between Aksaray and Kayseri,
since it is an intersection, east
to west and south to north; Sultanhan in Aksaray,
Agzikarahan in Aksaray, Saruhan in Nevsehir and
Sultanhan in Kayseri.
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