Perhaps in all the books you have read about the history and geography of Iran and in all the travelogues of tourists, you have heard of the existence of places between the roads of the country called Sabat, Robat or Caravanserai. The vastness of the land and the remoteness of the cities and settlements of Iran and neighboring countries have forced Iranians to build sanatoriums in addition to safe roads, house to house and village to village. One of the beautiful caravanserais, which is also known as the brickwork museum of the country, is Robat Sharaf caravanserai.
A caravanserai is a combination of the two words caravan (meaning a group of travelers) and sera (meaning house and home). So, the caravanserai is the building that accommodates the caravan. The caravan has a passenger, a horse, a camel, a load, so the caravanserai must have a room and a porch, as well as a barn.
Robat Sharaf is an amazing caravanserai, located in northeastern Iran, about 45 km from the city of Sarakhs. The word Robat is commonly used for a caravanserai which was mostly used to keep cattle and horses. In addition to the pond and reservoir, these places had several rooms in which travelers could spend one or more nights. Therefore, Robat Sharaf was also an inn that was mostly used to keep cattle.
At the entrance, there is a corridor to accommodate animals. Around the courtyard, passenger accommodation rooms have been built, in front of which there is a prominent platform. Some of these buildings have two floors, the first floor for goods and the upper floor for passengers. During the Islamic period, the architecture of caravanserais developed a lot and reached its peak of prosperity.
The founders of most of the great ligaments and caravanserais of the ancient roads of Iran were the great kings and merchants. In the past, caravans traveling from Marv to Neishabour stopped on their way here. The construction of the Robat Sharaf caravanserai is attributed to the minister of Sultan Sanjar, Sharaf al-Din Abu Tahir ibn Sa’ad al-Din Ali al-Qomi, the ruler of the city of Marv at the time. This building is a relic from the Seljuk era, which is located in a wide plain. The inscriptions of this building show that its construction dates back to the early sixth century AH and the year 508.
This building has been renovated many times throughout its tumultuous history. For example, Andre Godard, a French architect and archaeologist who entered Iran during the Pahlavi period, in his book brings the date of construction of Sharaf to 508 AH and says that in 548 AH the Ghazs (Turkish tribes) attacked the caravanserai of Sharaf and the following year, in 549 AH, Sharaf was rebuilt.
The plan of this structure is rectangular and its land area is 4644 square meters. Its architectural style is a mystery style that is historically related to the Samanid, Seljuk and Khwarezmshahian periods. At the entrance of this caravanserai, there is an inscription that reads: “Robat Sharaf is one of the royal caravanserais or the palace of the Robats of the Silk Road”. Throughout history, Robat Sharaf Caravanserai was also called Abgineh.
This building has two courtyards with four porches. The first courtyard or the entrance courtyard has a rectangular plan and around it there are rooms for the guards of the building. But the plan of the second courtyard is square and there is a relatively large pond in the middle. According to some experts, the first yard for ordinary people and travelers. The second yard was built for government officials. This caravanserai has 6 towers and 2 mosques.
But what distinguishes Robat Sharaf from other caravanserais in the country is its very beautiful and unique brickwork decorations. We said that this building is also known as the Museum of Brickwork in Iran. In fact, it is the unique and amazing brickwork of Robat Sharaf Caravanserai that has made its name famous and popular. The art of bricklaying and plastering is not only in a part of the caravanserai, but also in its place and in most of the walls and arches. The entrance, under the domes, altars and etc., all have beautiful brick decorations. Brick inscriptions have also been used in different parts of the caravanserai building. The beautiful plastering of this caravanserai is also one of the prominent examples of plastering in the country, which can be seen in every corner.
Travel to the land of Robat Sharaf is possible in all seasons. Of course, the best time to travel to Robat Sharaf is in spring and especially in May. This caravanserai is located on the way from Mashhad to Sarakhs. After the pilgrimage of Imam Reza PBUH, leave the city of Mashhad to the east. In the middle of Sarakhs road, you will reach Mazdavand city. After passing Mazdavand, you will reach the village of Shurlaq after 25 kilometers. From this village to the caravanserai, you have about 6 km of asphalt road in front of you. Do not worry about getting lost, as signs will guide you along the way.
