In order to stimulate and facilitate trade, Shah Abbas - mentioned previously re Isfahan - arranged for the building of around 1,000 caravanserais along the various trade routes. Each was to be approximately 1 days camel ride from the next, and they provided food and shelter for both people and their animals.
About 70km south-east of Yazd, on the route to Afghanistan and Pakistan, is caravanserai Zein-od-Din standing in isolation in the desert. It is one of only two made in a circular shape - the other is a ruin in Isfahan - and it presents high blank walls unbroken except for a massive wooden door.
It was restored a few years ago - the job took over 2 years to complete - and is now once again providing food and shelter, although now only for people.
Inside is an entrance courtyard with a sort of wide curved corridor leading off it. This has high alcoves on either side which are used as bedrooms, separated from the corridor only by heavy curtains.
Beyond the entrance courtyard is a much bigger main courtyard, open to the sky, with plants and shady alcoves all around the outside with cushions and carpets.
The whole place has been restored with care and style so it was a very special place to spend time. In the evening, the lighting was carefully arranged to give the place a very atmospheric feel as we lounged on our cushions with glasses of tea.
The roof is accessible too and I spent some time up there with a book in the cool of the early morning - the view was 360 degrees across immense desert and distant mountains. That's something I will remember for a long time.
As it is so remote, access is not easy. Two of the staff from the caravanserai drove us to the main road and we simply waited until a bus came along. We flagged it down and the guys explained to the bus crew where we were going and they made room for us.
We wanted to go to Kerman but the bus was going on to Zahedan in Baluchistan near the Afghan/Pakistan border. I got the impression that its home was there because the crew and many of the passengers were dressed quite differently from what we have seen so far. Iranian men generaly wear shirt and trousers but these guys were wearing a sort of shalwar kameez, with incredibly baggy trousers.
And the crew had a slightly more cavalier attitude to things. I have heard before of bus crews changing driver without bothering to stop the bus - now I've seen it happen.
At about 100kph.
In the outside lane.
But, in any event we arrived safely in Kerman, which is the easternmost point of our trip.
About 70km south-east of Yazd, on the route to Afghanistan and Pakistan, is caravanserai Zein-od-Din standing in isolation in the desert. It is one of only two made in a circular shape - the other is a ruin in Isfahan - and it presents high blank walls unbroken except for a massive wooden door.
It was restored a few years ago - the job took over 2 years to complete - and is now once again providing food and shelter, although now only for people.
Inside is an entrance courtyard with a sort of wide curved corridor leading off it. This has high alcoves on either side which are used as bedrooms, separated from the corridor only by heavy curtains.
Beyond the entrance courtyard is a much bigger main courtyard, open to the sky, with plants and shady alcoves all around the outside with cushions and carpets.
The whole place has been restored with care and style so it was a very special place to spend time. In the evening, the lighting was carefully arranged to give the place a very atmospheric feel as we lounged on our cushions with glasses of tea.
The roof is accessible too and I spent some time up there with a book in the cool of the early morning - the view was 360 degrees across immense desert and distant mountains. That's something I will remember for a long time.
As it is so remote, access is not easy. Two of the staff from the caravanserai drove us to the main road and we simply waited until a bus came along. We flagged it down and the guys explained to the bus crew where we were going and they made room for us.
We wanted to go to Kerman but the bus was going on to Zahedan in Baluchistan near the Afghan/Pakistan border. I got the impression that its home was there because the crew and many of the passengers were dressed quite differently from what we have seen so far. Iranian men generaly wear shirt and trousers but these guys were wearing a sort of shalwar kameez, with incredibly baggy trousers.
And the crew had a slightly more cavalier attitude to things. I have heard before of bus crews changing driver without bothering to stop the bus - now I've seen it happen.
At about 100kph.
In the outside lane.
But, in any event we arrived safely in Kerman, which is the easternmost point of our trip.
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