Caravanserai Robat Sharaf

The caravanserai Robat Sharaf is located near the town of Sarkhas (Khorāsān Razavi region). Its building dates back to the year 549 of the lunar Hegira (epoch of Soltān Sanjar selgiuchide) and is considered among the most important real and imposing caravanserails on the Silk Road.

This ancient rectangular building, which is one of the masterpieces of art and a real "museum" of Iranian brickwork, was built with this material and with plaster and in the "Razi"(Architectural style widespread in Iran from the fifth century until the beginning of the seventh during the reign of the Samanids, the Seljuks and the Corasms). The exterior appearance with 6 towers is similar to a large fortress while its interior is like a palace.

This building has an entrance with a beautiful portal, two courtyards and each has four Iwan in the shape of a cross and a colonnaded prayer hall (Shabestan). In it are visible two mosques and mihrab and everything is adorned with floral and stucco inscriptions. Also in the center there is a large pool, two stables for sheltering horses and in the surrounding area various rooms for the accommodation of travelers and underground tanks for water conservation.

During the excavations of the rooms of Robāt Sharaf, which compared to all the caravanserragli of Iran has obvious differences and was in use until the Safavid period, a set of steel vessels, decrees from the Safavid era, Seljuk terracottas, coins came to light. of the Islamic periods and also a singular bowl belonging to the fourth and fifth centuries of the lunar Hegira.