Sarıhan Kervansarayı

Sarıhan is one of the most impressive stops on the Seljuk caravan road through Cappadocia that lie within Nevşehir. The caravanserai stands about six kilometres southeast of Avanos, beside the road between Avanos and Ürgüp, in the valley of the Damsa Stream. The building was a halt on the Aksaray to Kayseri route of the Silk Road, which linked east and west. Sources also call it Saruhan or Avanos Han. Most sources give 1249 as the year of construction and attribute the inn to the reign of the Anatolian Seljuk sultan İzzeddin Keykavus II. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism page, however, estimates that the building was constructed in 1238. Whatever the exact date, Sarıhan is known as one of the last caravanserais built by the Seljuk sultans. In the 12th and 13th centuries the Seljuk sultans built many inns along the trade routes, where merchants were given safe lodging, food and care for their pack animals. The name of the inn comes from the colour of the stone used to build it. The walls are built of tuff, which is plentiful in the region, and the stones are laid in yellow, beige and pink tones. This difference in colour was used deliberately for a decorative effect on the arches and around the doors. The building covers an area of about two thousand square metres and opens with an entrance facing west. The walls of such inns were built thick and high for protection against highway robbers. The plan follows the classic layout of the Seljuk sultan inns. In front there is a square courtyard surrounded by rooms, used in summer. Behind it lies the closed, rectangular section used in winter. Looking from the entrance, on the left of the courtyard there are six open bays covered with vaulted arches, and on the right there are closed rooms opening through decorated doorways. Directly opposite the entrance stands a second, richly carved doorway leading into the closed section. The interior of the closed section is dim, and light only filters in through small openings in the roof. A distinctive feature of Sarıhan is that its small prayer room was placed above the main gate. In similar inns this unit was usually located in the middle of the courtyard. When you enter the courtyard, look at the stairs on the inner face of the main gate; the small unit on the upper floor is reached by these steps. The crown gate is one of the careful examples of Seljuk stonework, and the geometric ornament around the doorway is worth a close look. Over time the building partly collapsed, and its upper parts fell in places. An academic study cites the removal of the facade stones by a local administration at one time as an example of the damage suffered by caravanserais. The caravanserai owes its present appearance to an extensive restoration completed in 1991. The result of the restoration is debated; some commentators consider the building one of the most impressive Seljuk inns, while others feel that part of the original fabric was lost. The inn is also included in Kurt Erdmann's inventory of 13th-century Anatolian caravanserais. The Kültür Envanteri record links Sarıhan to the Silk Road theme on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. A good order for the visit is to start in the middle of the courtyard, walk round the facades and the carved doorways, and then move into the closed section. For photographs, afternoon light brings out the contrast between the yellow and pink stones. As there is no regular public transport to the caravanserai, you need to come by car or by taxi from Avanos. Check daytime visiting conditions and current admission information before you go. You can visit Sarıhan in the same half day as the potters' quarter of Avanos and the banks of the Kızılırmak.